The World Needs You Now
by AndromedaAI
Summary: Mikaela "Twister" was a normal girl until she was chased by Barricade because she owned a AllSpark fragment. The Autobots knew she had it too, and they need it in hopes of finding Sam Witwicky, who has disappeared. Jazz turns out to be her new iPhone, and Ironhide turns out to be alive after the Chicago incident. And how will she keep this all a secret from her parents?
1. Barricade

**So here's the restart of "Twisted Fragments". I made the first chapter a bit more exciting and a bit more understandible than the first chapter of TF. And, boys, I know that the topic of 'nails' might be lost on you, but please read, I love positive feedback from both boys and girls. I'll try to keep this as real as possible. There may be romance as well, but I'm not sure...**

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**The World Needs You Now**

_A Transformers FanFiction_

By: Mikaela the Cat

(Was originally going to be titled "Held Hostage")

(Restart of "Twisted Fragments")

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**Chapter One: Barricade**

"No…! No! Miriah! Not yet, not yet! I'M NOT READY TO HAVE MY NAILS DONE!" I cried as my short, curvy, brown/blonde haired friend continued to hold my wrist and drag me towards the nail salon she frequented. Summer had just begun, and all winter I had told her that I wanted to have my nails done because it would be nice to have nice, even nails again. But now that it was summer and it looked like it was going to rain the entire summer like it had for the last two years, I was preparing to ride me horse as much as I could. But I guess my words came and smacked me in the back of my head, because Miriah had found gaps of free time in both of our lives and managed to get me to the nail salon.

"C'mon, Mikaela, you've wanted to have your nails done for a while. Now it's time to do it," she said, smiling at me slightly.

I sighed at the girl. Miriah and I were not close, since our interests were almost on opposite sides of the spectrum. She was the one that was pretty and always up on the latest fashion all the time while I couldn't even bear to wear any kind of t-shirt that had a neck that went below the collarbone. She wore make-up all the time—like the silvery eye-shadow I could see her wearing now—while I didn't care for it. Mom has to forcefully sit me down if she has any hopes of getting make-up on me to cover up some of the pimples I have on my hairline and chin. She was around five foot one to five foot three while I was five foot seven. She was short, I was tall.

Now she had sucked me into a situation that she had probably been planning for a long time.

I relented and allowed her to pull me into the nail salon. She went up to the counter to pay for our nails being done while I found a chair and sat down on it. I looked around the salon and saw that it was pretty empty, so I was not surprised when we were accepted almost instantly. But what shocked me was that we were taken to two different tables. Oh joy.

The woman who was going to do my nails went off to get the stuff she would need, and while she was gone, I took out my iPhone 4 and put it on mute before slipping it back into my pocket. My iPhone had a strange story to it, which I couldn't help but remember every time I saw it. In truth, it was supposed to be an iPhone 3, but when I opened the box, it turned out to be an iPhone 4…

_I sat down at my desk and set the iPhone's box on the desk in front of me. I quickly opened the box, and hastily took the plastic wrapping off, tossing the manuals over my shoulder and across the room onto my bed. I took out the phone, and stared at it. I was confused. This was the wrong phone. I had swapped my old iPhone 3 for a new one because it glitched, but I had gotten an iPhone 4 instead of an iPhone 3. I shook my head and shrugged. Maybe they just didn't make iPhone 3s anymore._

_I sighed and set the new iPhone on my desk before I picked up the box and set it down on the floor next to the desk. But before I could let go of the box, something _clink_ed to the ground, catching my attention. I let go of the box, and looked for the source of the sound. I found it, resting on the floor, mere millimeters from the edge of the rug that rested under my desk. It was a big sliver/chunk of something brown. I picked it up and ran my fingers over it. I felt strange runes etched into it and my curiosity and imagination was sparked instantly. _

_I straightened and placed it onto the desk next to the phone. I looked at the runes and my eyes widened._

_With a gasp, I uttered, "I know those runes!"_

_I got to my feet and rushed around my room until I grabbed my laptop. I set it on my lap, careful to keep it far away from the sliver. I pulled up the web browser and clicked on the Google search bar. And with that, I typed:_

_T – H – E — A – L – L – S – P – A – R – K _

_Several websites popped up, and I clicked on the link to the Transformers wiki. A long article about the AllSpark popped up, and I looked at all the pictures of the AllSpark that came along with it. _

_I stopped at the image of the AllSpark from the movie continuity of Transformers and clicked on it. A larger version of the image popped up and I could get a clear look of the runes on three of the six sides. I gasped again and nearly let the laptop slide off of my lap._

So it turned out that my phone also came with a replica of the main character of the movies' AllSpark shard. But how it got into the box was a mystery to me. The box didn't advertise that there was an AllSpark shard replica inside, and it _definantly_ didn't advertise that the phone had been switched for a newer model. I sighed as the woman returned and sat down on a small rolling chair across the tiny manicure table from me.

She asked me what I wanted done with my nails, and I told her that I wanted gel stick-on nails painted yellow with a couple of black stripes down the middle. I didn't tell her the reason for that choice was because it would remind me of Bumblebee—one of my favourite Autobots. Not everyone was the fan of Transformers like I was, so I wanted to be spared from the strange looks I would receive if I told her.

I sat patiently as she did my nails, constantly hoping that no one would phone. The only people who would phone me would either be my mom, dad, or grandmother. Fortunately, no one phoned, and when my nails were done, I was free to go, since Miriah paid already. But I waited for her. When she was done, she showed me her nails. I saw that she got gel stick on nails too, but had an orange and blue theme to it. I showed her mine, and she said I had good taste. But I had a feeling that she was slightly forcing it.

We went our separate ways and I went to my bike. I got onto it and began to bike home.

My home was located on the far end of town, and I was not looking forward to returning there. I didn't know why I was feeling that way—maybe it was because of the shard? I didn't know, but whenever I was near it, and no matter how much it fascinated me, I always felt this foreboding feeling, like if I touched it one too many times, trouble would come my way. It must just be my Transformers geek sense tingling.

And that sense was tingling now, set off by the feeling of being watched. I sped up my pedalling, gripping the handlebars just enough that my now longer nails were beginning to dig into my palms. My eyes darted around as I kept a look-out for anything that might have been causing the feeling. I spotted a black and white police cruiser, but I quickly turned my attention from it an ignored it. There were several black and white cars now added to the fleet of white cars the police fleet owned. I continued racing down the street, forgetting that when you ride a bike on the road, it's considered a vehicle. And I was biking very recklessly.

A few seconds after I passed the police cruiser, I heard sirens. I slowed down and looked over my shoulder and grimaced when I saw it was the police cruiser I had passed. I looked back and through the windshield, and gulped when I saw the police officer. He was dressed in a black police officer uniform, something foreign to Canada. He had short brown hair and a brown moustache. I recognised him, but I couldn't remember where I had seen him before. I looked forward as my mind sifted through the images. I lurched forward in surprised as I fully recognised the police officer.

Barricade's holoform.

The man inside the police cruiser looked exactly like the man who watched Frenzy at the laptop after Frenzy made it off of Air Force One in the first movie. I shuttered.

I pushed myself harder, but I could tell the police cruiser was on my tail. It couldn't be Barricade—he was just a fictional character! And the police officer that was chasing me was just a normal police officer that was ticked off at my biking.

So with that in mind, I slowed down and stopped by the curb, but I did not climb off of my bike. There was something up.

The police officer pulled up beside me so that I was pinned between the cruiser and the curb. I sighed as the officer got out of the car and walked around so that he was standing in front of me. I looked up at him with wide hazel eyes before I looked down nervously while brushing my thick but short brown hair out of my face. "What can I do for you, Officer?" I asked in the most level voice I could muster.

I glanced up at him quickly enough to see him narrow his eyes. "I saw your biking," he said, his voice deep and rough. It was…scary. He took out a ticket book and fished a pen out of what looked like his back pocket by the way he reached behind him. "I could fine you for recklessness." He paused. "But…"

I held my breath as my eyes widened even more. That voice… oh no…

My eyes wandered to the police badge he wore on his left breast. I read his name tag and it read "Barry Cade".

I gasped as he reached back again and took out a pair of handcuffs. Either my mind was playing tricks on me, but there was more to this "Barry Cade" than met the eye and I didn't want to stay around to find out who he really was. So a strangled shriek left my throat as I slapped him across the face, catching him off guard. I then pedaled hard, causing my bike to shoot forward, knocking the man out of the way.

As I screamed around the corner at the end of the street, I could hear the sounds of the police cruiser behind me. I shot down the road before power-sliding onto a walking path that snaked its way between some buildings. I sped into the suburbs of Oilfield, this town, hoping to lose the police officer. I looked behind me in time to see the police cruiser become a mass of twisting metal, gears and wires. I screamed as the cruiser _transformed_ into a figure I thought I would never see face to face.

Barricade.

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**So was that exciting enough? I hope so.**

**While I was writing this, I took a Transformers personality test on ...or something...and it turns out that my personality is like Ironhides :P Maybe that's why I'm so mad that Bay killed him off and that he's one of my favourite Autobots...**


	2. Saved by the Bee

**So here's chapter TWO!**

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**Chapter Two: Saved by the Bee**

For some reason, I was starting to feel like Rad from _Transformers: Armada_.

But it was true; there were some similarities between the episode in which he was running from Megatron on his bike, and now. But there was also a big difference. His bike had been a Minicon. My bike was just a bike.

And it wasn't helping now.

I glanced over my shoulder and back at the monster that was following me as I steered my bike between a couple of houses. Blast it, that 'Con was small enough to fit between them!

If I couldn't get away from him, I would have to ditch the bike in order to find a suitable hiding spot. Which I really didn't want to do, because I loved my bike.

I maneuvered my bike so that I biked down a road. I glanced over my shoulder again, and screamed as I saw a black, clawed hand reaching for me. I turned my bike sharply in an act of desperation, but I ended up over compensating when I tried to keep myself from tipping over. I crashed into the pavement and my momentum caused me to slide across it. My skin burned in a few places, and I cried out in pain.

When I stopped sliding, I found myself lying on my back. I looked up as I noticed that I felt hot from the exercise and noticed how sweaty I felt. Barricade slammed his servos into the concrete on either side of me and leaned down towards me, giving me the 'bug-under-the-microscope' feeling. And why did I suddenly feel like Sam Witwicky after Barricade flung him up against the windshield of a car? Did Barricade do this to every human he pinned down?

I felt numb with fear as I looked into his red optics. I couldn't even bring myself to glare at him defiance. I could barely force myself to speak. "What…do you…_want with me_?_!_" I managed to growl out.

"Are you Mikaela Ashley Cody?" he growled back.

My mind stalled. How…did he know my name? I didn't share my name on any of the websites I frequented. So how did he know…?

"_Are you Mikaela Ashley Cody_?_!_" he growled louder, more urgently, almost ferociously.

It took a few seconds, but I managed to figure out how to control the muscles in my neck again, and forced myself to nod hastily.

"WHERE IS THE _ALLSPARK FRAGMENT_?_!_" he shouted.

Crap, crap, crap! "Uh…um…" I stuttered before I began to crawl backwards, away from him. My mind whirled as a feeling of déjà vu raced across my skin and through my nervous system. Didn't Barricade say something similar to that when he was interrogating Sam? "W-what AllSpark fragment?" I asked, innocent. I didn't own any AllSpark fragment—not a real one, anyway. "I-I thought that o-only existed in an m-m-m-movie…?"

_Stupid, Twister!_ I chastised myself. _He's a bloody Bad Cop! He can tell if you're holding the truth from him!_ But then I scolded myself from using a swear word in my thoughts, even though it was British and was only used to shed a 'bad light' on whatever word or set of words it was used before.

He growled and whipped a hand back. The tire mounted on its wrist slid down over the hand with a sharp _click!_ and spikes slid out of it with a spine-chilling _shing._ I shuttered as my eyes focused on it and my blood ran cold. He held it above me for a suspenseful effect, or something, I don't know, but time seemed to slow down.

But as I watched the spiked wheel begin to descend on me, something large and yellow barreled into the black and white police car and knocked him aside. Time resumed its normal speed as my rescuer and Barricade crashed down the street and rolled into a rock fence.

I jumped to my feet and dashed to my bike, silently thanking my rescuer as I got onto my bike. I looked back at Barricade as he got to his pedes, and saw that my rescuer was a yellow robot about Barricade's size. It had black stripes which it seemed to wear with pride. My eyes widened.

"Thank you, Bumblebee," I whispered with a small smile before I biked as fast as I could and out of their sight.

* * *

I sighed as I flopped down on my bed. My room was situated in a loft above the garage, which was detached from the Mobile Home where the rest of my family had their bedrooms. Mom and Dad had had the Mobile Home moved out to property a few months ago, and had the garage and loft quickly constructed. And now I was in my loft, my own little world, away from my brother who could easily have been the Autobot Blurr-turned-human, anything else that could bother me.

I didn't stay flopped on my bed for long, though. I got to my feet again and walked over to the window that faced the yard in front of the house. I watched as my brother, Drew, and my dad playfully shoved each other before entering the house. A sad look entered my eyes as a jealous feeling pinged in my heart before I shoved it away.

After I managed to look away from the window, I walked over to my desk and turned on the lamp resting on it before sitting down on my blue desk chair. I pulled out the AllSpark fragment replica and looked at it under the light. I narrowed my eyes at it and took the time to examine every point, every edge, every rune. "You look like the AllSpark fragment Sam had on his sweater. But you can't be Sam Witwicky's. It's not possible. Because Barricade obviously exists, Sam's shard should be still in his possession—unless it was the one he used to bring Jetfire out of stasis," I whispered to the shard as I turned it, continuing the examination.

I sighed and went to put the shard away. But before I could set it down, I cried out in pain. My hand suddenly felt like it was on fire, and I forced myself to drop it onto the desktop.

I sat there, panting from the shock of the shard suddenly burning me. I lifted my hand and looked at my palm to see if it left a burn mark. But to my surprise, it hadn't. I looked down at the shard and saw it sitting on my desk, almost smugly. It was almost as if to say "Ha-ha! So _there_! I am _so_ the real deal." I growled at it.

So maybe it was a real shard of the AllSpark. I wouldn't put it past it—not after what happened today…

I shuttered. I had been so close to death today, and it was not funny. Barricade was about to kill me because I did not understand what he wanted. I would have to sincerely thank Bumblebee whenever I laid my eyes on him again. He earned it.

My hand found its way down to my pocket and I took my iPhone out, smiling at it. I set it down, but then blinked when the AllSpark shard pulsed once before going dormant again. I groaned. _Too much in one day, too much in one day…_ I heaved a moaning sigh, suddenly finding myself very weary as my body finally realized that I was no longer in danger. But Barricade's words echoed in my head. _"WHERE IS THE _ALLSPARK FRAGMENT_?_!" that phrase bounced around in my head like it was a spring. What he said slowly sank in, and my eyes widened. I had an AllSpark shard/fragment, and either he, or the Decepticons wanted it.

But did they know where it was?

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**Next chapter, Mikaela meets someone you thought you'd never see ever again.**

**Please review!**


	3. Nighttime Surprise

**I was so excited to write this chapter that I made it extra long. Mikaela/Twister has a funky set of dreams...and...she meet someone...**

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**Chapter Three: Nighttime Surprise**

"_Give me the AllSpark shard, fleshling!" a deep, gravelly voice with dark undertones growled from behind me as I ran. I clutched the shard in my right hand, willing my hand to stay closed around it. I wouldn't let him get it, no matter how afraid I was._

_I ran down a large, cathedral-like metal hallway and turned a corner. I screamed as I caught sight of a large metal being that had a build similar to an upside-down triangle with a pair of jet-like wings peeking up from behind his shoulders slightly. I recognised him from somewhere, but I couldn't remember where. I didn't stop to figure out who he was and continued to run. I ran between his legs, and to my surprise, he didn't even give chase after me. _

"_If you give me the shard, I'll let you live to be my slave!" the voice roared as something seemed to literally ping in my head. Rows of information in a strange language rose up through my vision like the credits of a movie. One section of the strange language—like a word—was suddenly highlighted, and it was enlarged._

_Even though the letters were going so fast, I still knew what the word meant._

_**Megatron**__._

_I found myself panting after I found out who my pursuer was, but I didn't stop myself as I pushed myself to go faster as I weaved my way between the legs of many giant metal beings that had suddenly clustered into the hallway. I was thankful of my small stature as I soon left Megatron in my metaphorical dust. I continued to run though, having a feeling that he wasn't going to give up until he had me. I smirked, glancing back over my shoulder. I felt bold, brave, and cheeky. I hadn't felt like this for a while._

••••

_::Come in, Minibot Twisterstrike.::_

_::I'm here, Optimus Prime, sir! What would you like, sir?:: I asked through my end of the comm._

_::Return to base, Twisterstrike, remove yourself from the danger. Mirage is coming to pick you up,:: Optimus said._

_I looked over my shoulder, a trilling sound left my voice box, the sound I made when I was worried, when my eyes landed on Megatron, as he shoved his way into sight. I made a slight wheezing sound with my voice-box as my eyebrows rose. _

_::Better tell Mirage to hurry up, then, sir,:: I stuttered. ::M-M-Megatron's on my aft!:: I looked ahead and diverted most of my power to the wires, pistons, and gears in my legs. My pedes transformed into wheels, and I shot forward. I continued to weave my way between the citizens of the barely existing city of Iacon. I shot out into an abandoned sector of the city, and glanced back at Megatron again. He had been delayed slightly, since he was trying to keep a low profile, but he was still close enough to have his optics locked on me. Those blood red optics._

"_Pathetic, Minicon!" he growled as soon as he was out of earshot of the citizens. I continued to keep my pedes as wheels as I transformed my servos into Minicon ion blasters. I glared my blue optics up at him, even though I was so short and he was so tall. "Joining the Autobots instead of the Decepticons like your brethren. You belong with the Decepticons, not the Autobots. There is a reason there is the word 'con' joined to the word 'Mini'._

_The small growl that rose from my voice-box was anything from threatening as I furrowed my eyebrows. "I'm a Mini_bot_, not a Minicon! I'm an Auto_bot_, not a Decepticon! I don't care if my brothers and sisters went to you. I'm glad that I joined the Auto_bots_."_

_Megatron chuckled. "But you're all alone. You're the only Minicon in their ranks, are you not?" he said. I growled. He was trying to make me feel smaller than I already was, and make me feel worthless. And he was still calling me a Minicon… "They'll never be on your level, and they probably treat you as their servant—their _slave_."_

"_They don't! They treat me as an equal! I'm no slave to them as I would be to you if you ever succeeded in taking me alive!" I shouted._

_He sneered and leaned down so that he was in my faceplates. I bared my metal fangs at him, using every ounce of my courage even as I felt it slowly burning away. "Oh, you will be taken alive, Autobot _spy_," he said. My spark went cold and my optics grew wide._

_::Twisterstrike! Come in, Twisterstrike!:: Optimus' voice thundered over the comm._

_With a shuttering breath, I answered. ::T-Tw-wisterstrike here, Optimus, sir!:: I shuttered as tears began to build up on the edges of my optics. ::I need help…_please_…:: I sounded so weak and scared, I surprised myself._

_::Do not worry, Twisterstrike, Mirage is almost at your location,:: Optimus said._

_I took another shuttering breath as I gained back my courage. The Calvary's coming. "Alright, sir," I growled out-loud, knowing that Optimus could still hear it. It made Megatron smirk, because he thought I was speaking to him. The scared look on my face disappeared, and was replaced by a look of determination, and I glared at him. I pointed my blasters at his face that was only a couple of my arm-lengths away, and fired. _

_I fired rapidly, and rolled quickly backwards. As Megatron reared back, I grabbed onto his shoulder and swung up onto it. I continued to fire at his face until he swiped at me. I swung onto his other shoulder, and continued to attack his faceplates. I wasn't going to give up. He had insulted the Autobots one too many times!_

_::I am here, Twisterstrike,:: Mirage said as his red alt-form raced onto the scene. I looked over at him before I shot at Megatron's face one last time. I jumped off of Megatron's shoulder and somersaulted down onto Mirage's roof. I climbed inside, and he raced off. I looked back at Megatron and fell strangely silent. I didn't know what my opinion was of that incident. Did I feel proud that I had taken on Megatron to keep him from capturing me? Or did I feel deflated because it was true—I was the only Minibot on the Autobot team?_

* * *

_Bzz…bzz…bzzzz…_

I groaned as my consciousness surfaced. No…I didn't want to wake up… not now! Why was my alarm going off at this hour?

But _man_, that was an odd dream…

Who was Twisterstrike? Was she…me?

She had to be me. Because I had the AllSpark fragment in the first part of the dream, but then in the second part of the dream, I was no longer a "fleshling", as Megatron had called me, but a Minicon…or Mini_bot_.

_Bzz…bzz…bzzzz…_

I growled this time as I cracked open my hazel eyes and turned over. I switched on my side-table lamp, and my eyes instantly locked onto my cell phone. It's smooth, silver backing vibrated against the oaken table-top. This confused me, so I picked it up and looked at the screen. The screen was dark, so there was no one calling. I pressed the button below the screen and turned it on, but instead of the silver Apple icon, it was a red Autobot symbol that stood out against the black background.

_Bzz…bzz…bzzzz…_

I narrowed my eyes. "What's wrong with you?" I whispered to it, still slightly distracted from my dream. The only response I got from the phone was a bright blue light that shone from the top of it. It shone out of my window, and I froze. I stayed like that for several minutes, my mind racing with reasons why my phone was doing this. Was my phone a Transformer? Was it a Minicon, then? Did the AllSpark shard do this to my phone?

When the light stopped shining from it I dropped it, and it clattered onto my desk.

To my surprise, it yelped. I let out a little shriek and pressed myself up against the wall my bed rested up against. I stared at it, breathing heavily.

Nothing happened for several seconds, but then suddenly, it split apart into several segments. It quickly transformed into a small humanoid form, and onlined its tiny optics. It was dark silver in colour, like my phone was, and I could see pieces of the phone's screen on segments of its armor. I looked at its optics, and saw that they were Autobot blue. I smiled at it as it looked up at me. It tipped its head like it was wearing a cowboy hat before sliding its small blue visor down over its optics.

"Ya don' seem scared," the iPhone Transformer said. "Ah was a hundred percent sure ya were gonna flip out on meh."

I giggled. "Well, I almost did. Luckily, it takes a lot more than a transforming phone to make me scream—like maybe a giant transforming jet…"

He studied me from behind his visor. "Wat's yah name?" he asked.

I smiled again. "Mikaela Cody, but I like being called Twister. Because if I ever run into Mikaela _Banes_, I don't want to get mixed up," I said.

He smiled right back at me. "Twistah…that's a good nickname." There was a small silence. "Mah name's Jazz."

I froze, blinking as I tried to compute what he had just said. "J-Jazz?" I stuttered.

"Is there somethin' wrong wit it?"

I shook my head hastily. "N-no," I stuttered. "It's just…there was an Autobot that died back in 2007 who had that name…" When I said that, Jazz's visor dimmed. He turned slightly from me, suddenly finding my pillow very interesting. He stayed like that for a few moments, and I knew he was mulling something over. I held my breath, hoping that I hadn't emotionally hurt him or brought back a bad memory. But I shouldn't have been worrying, because he turned back to me and gave me a small smile.

"That was meh."

My eyes widened. My vision swam for a second before I steady it. "I…I think I should just go to back to sleep now, Jazz…let me think about this predicament tomorrow… I…It's so much to take in…" I looked at him and saw how close he was to my face. He was looking into my eyes with his optics.

"Good idea. A fresh mind is a good mind ta think with," he said softly. He took the covers and pulled them up over my shoulders and tucked it down around me. He smiled softly before he stepped over onto my side table. He reached up and turned off my lamp before he transformed down into his iPhone form. A small smile crossed my face, but my eyes dropped closed and I entered the realm of sleep once more.

* * *

The first thing I heard when I woke up was the chirping of birds. I opened my eyes and took in what looked like a blurry humanoid figure sitting on my side table and the sunlight shining in through my window. My eyes focused on the sunlight and I sighed comfortably. But a small servo waving in my face tore me from my peaceful state of mind. "Twistette…wakey, wakey!" a vaguely familiar voice drew me to the blurry figure. The blurry figure came into focus with a few blinks.

Jazz.

I groaned. "So it wasn't a dream…"

"Nope!" Jazz said cheerfully as he hopped onto my shoulder as I slowly sat up. He stumbled once but kept his footing by clutching some of my short hair.

I yawned and stretched before taking Jazz off of my shoulder and setting him on my lap. "So…tell me about Mission City and how you're still alive. You say you're _the_ Jazz that took on Megatron on, so…" I looked down at him expectantly. "I'm more ready to hear it now than I had been last night."

He nodded slightly. He launched into the story, telling me everything that happened in Mission City up until he was ripped apart. "…It was dark after he separated mah body from mah legs. But Ah wasn' dead. Ah knew when Sam shoved the AllSpark into Megatron's chest. It was strange…but when the AllSpark shattered, Ah suddenly found mahself inhabitin' this phone. Ah don' know how it happened…but…Ah'm here…"

I nodded. "I see…" I said, tapping my chin as my mind wandered for a second. "Well, you are blessed then," I smiled. "Now what was that blue light you shone out my window last night?"

He brightened up as soon as he realized that the topic had changed to a less stressful topic. "I sent for the others!"

My eyes widened and my smile dropped. "What…others…?"

* * *

**She's in for a shock! And the mysterious person she was going to meet is JAZZ! YAYZ! HE'S ALIVE!**


	4. Store Collision

**So I dreamed yesterday morning after I managed to fall asleep again _after_ I woke up a four in the morning, that I was hitchhiking. But wonders of wonders, a red-with-blue flames decaled Peterbuilt semi rolled up in front of me. I got in and the cab was dark, but the driver turned on some lights. I looked over at the driver and saw that he looked sorta like Peter Cullen. And at that moment, I knew I was riding in Optimus Prime. I was so happy, but I didn't show it. But then the dream was shattered when someone started yelling at Optimus' holoform (the driver) over the radio for picking me up. And then I dreamt that I transformed into my Autobot OC, Andromeda, and had to save a family from their burning house, that was purposely set on fire by an old geezer.**

**So I guess I've been obsessing over Transformers a little too much… ^.^'**

**But here's the next chapter! It was fun to write, even though it was a little difficult.**

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**Chapter Four: Store Collision**

I jogged over to the house with Jazz riding on my shoulder. He clutched my shirt in order to stay on, but he whooped the whole way, showing that he was enjoying himself. "So this is wat it is like to ride on our shouldahs!" he exclaimed gleefully. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye and chuckled.

At the front door, Jazz transformed and I stuck him in my pocket. I stepped inside and shouted a good morning to everyone before I got ready for a shower. After my shower, I dried my hair and came out into the living room, where I plopped down on the couch. I looked at the TV and saw that Dad and Drew were watching an episode of _Transformers: Prime_. I squealed happily as I realized that the episode they were watching was _Convoy_.

I felt Jazz half transform and peek out of my pocket. He seemed drawn to the TV show as well. Funny. I felt him transform back into his iPhone form and vibrate. I took him out of my pocket and checked for text messages. He vibrated three more times before I could even pull up the messages. As Team Prime on the show maneuvered away from MECH, I saw that I had gotten a text from my mom before I had woken up, a text from my cousin who lived in the southern part of the province, another text from my mom, and a message Jazz himself sent me.

I opened Mom's first text. _'What would you like for breakfast?'_ was the text. Under it, there was another text: _'We're having pancakes. Want some?'_ I quickly texted her back and told her that I would love some pancakes and asked her if we could have slices of cheese on them. I looked over at her and saw her sitting at the kitchen table. Yeah, we liked to text each other when we were in the same room. But hey, we had a TELUS plan that allowed free texting.

I checked the text from my cousin, and found she was telling me she was having a good day.

Jazz's text was eventful and long, making me smile. _'This show is fascinating! I never knew they had shows about us Cybertronians! But where's me? I'm Optimus' Third in Command! Where's Ironhide? And Sideswipe? And Mirage? There are so many Autobots missing! And they have to hide in a run-down missile silo! And no one but the military knows about them! What happened?'_ the last part made me frown. Poor Jazz.

I quickly texted him back. _'This TV show takes place in an alternate universe. Not all of the Autobots have made it to Earth yet.'_

'_Ah. I see.'_

* * *

"So when are the 'others' coming?" I asked Jazz as I walked through the Centennial Park. I was wearing a black hoodie and jeans, since it decided to be cool and rainy this fine summer day, and wore the hood up so that Jazz could hide under it and not be seen while he talked to me.

"Soon, my lady friend," Jazz said cheekily, even though I could sense some sassy undertones. "So soon that it may surprise ya."

I nodded once with a disbelieving "Uh-huh?" I looked up and around. "So, uh, as in soon, would one of them happen to step on me—like, _right now_?" I asked sarcastically while taking in the ominous rain clouds overhead.

I felt him shake his helm and chuckle. "Naw, not _that_ soon, mah dramatic friend o' mine. They'll just pop up when ya least expect it."

A sigh escaped me, and it ended up ending with a chuckle. I ducked into the Sobeys on the far side of the park once I reached it. I was happy to be out of the rain, but I kept my hood up so Jazz could still ride on my shoulder. I looked around, and decided that I would get myself some refreshments. I walked down to the dairy aisle and grabbed a chocolate Milk2Go. I glanced around and saw a few people my family knew, and I waved at them. One of them, a friend of mine, stalked towards me in her black cowboy boots.

"Who's she?" Jazz asked.

I smiled at her and waved. "A friend," I whispered to him just before she reached hearing range. "Hey, Hannah!" I said cheerfully as she stopped in front of me. I felt Jazz shift so that he was hiding behind my head in the back of my hood.

"Hi!" my blond haired, blue/grey eyed friend said. "How's it going?"

I smiled casually. "Fine. Star and Stormy are doing good—but the best thing is Star's knee isn't acting up," I told her as I brushed my brown bangs from my eyes. Discussing my horses was a main topic between Hannah and I. It makes living on property so much easier. "How's Smiley, King, Janoah, and Missy?" I was always interested in her horses as well as mine.

"Good…good as always…" she said with a nod. "But they're getting fat—with all this summer grass…"

I nodded in response, feeling Jazz shift in surprise at my head's sudden movement. "Wat does she mean?" I heard him whisper very quietly in my ear. But I couldn't reply because Hannah was right there.

"Well, Star and Stormy are in the diet pen, because if Star gets fat…" I said.

"…She might hurt her knee," Hannah finished. She nodded again. "Well, it seems that all of our horses are doing fine. How's life been?"

I smiled at her, and the look on my face seemed to tell her volumes. "Fine. Hectic, but fine," I told her, glancing over my shoulder. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a strange, dark-haired man with a slight tan and unnatural blue eyes. He was watching me and Hannah, or maybe just me…

We continued to talk, and we got some laughs out of it, but soon Hannah had to go, and I was left alone with Jazz. I grinned and clutched my bottle of Milk2Go before I stalked off to the aisle that held the chocolate bars. "So who was that femme?" Jazz asked as I began to browse the chocolate bars.

"That was a friend of mine, Jazz. Her name's Hannah," I explained. "We're both into horses, that's why I live on an acreage."

"What's a horse?"

I chuckled as I paused to look at a Hershey chocolate bar. "Look it up. I know you Autobots have built in internet."

Jazz was silent, so I assumed that he was using it now. After a few moments, I heard him utter a small "oh."

I chuckled again. "Now do you know what I'm talking about?"

"Yep."

I continued to browse until I came across the Kit-Kats and picked up one of the chunky ones. I examined the red and white wrapping closely before sighing and making my way to the front. But before I could get in line-up, the sound of rapid footsteps, like someone running, reached my ears.

I turned just in time to see the man that had been watching me and Hannah crash into me. I was sent sprawling to the ground, lying on my back. He fell to the ground beside me, and I looked over at him. He looked up at me, and I found myself looking into his unnatural blue eyes.

My chocolate bar had skittered from my hand and was lying on the other side of the man, but I was still clutching my Milk2Go, and luckily it hadn't broken and spilled all over me. I didn't need any more embarrassment than I was already getting. People were staring, even though they were trying to not showing it.

The man looked down as my cheeks suddenly felt like they were burning. I was blushing…but I had no idea why… Was it because I suddenly found the klutz handsome, or that I hadn't felt my pride get bruised like this for such a long time? I sighed and sat up as the man scrambled to his feet. I caught a good look at his clothing, and saw that the man was dressed in a brick-red shirt, a black leather jacket, black jeans, and black dress shoes. And he looked tall…

"I am so sorry," the man said, and I was surprised to hear it was deep and thick with a Italian accent. My blushed deepened when I realized that I had collided with a Italian…and the Italian was _hot_…

_I have never felt quite like this before…_ I thought as he held out a hand to help me up. "I-It's q-quite alright," I stuttered as I tried to make the colour on my cheeks disappear. I accepted his hand, and he literally lifted me to my feet.

And that's when I noticed how _tall_ he was. He was easily taller than my father—at least six feet five inches. And he ended up surprising me again. Like a gentleman, he bent down and picked up my chocolate bar. He placed it in my hand and I looked up into his face. "Thank you," I smiled. He nodded before turning and disappearing amongst the shoppers. I sighed as I felt my heart flutter. Wow…

But then I snapped back to reality. "Are you alright, Jazz?" I asked, hoping I hadn't damaged anything of Autobot when I was knocked over.

"Ah'm just fine, Twistette. Yah head missed me, even though the fall knocked the air outta meh," the iPhone told me. "Who was that fella, anyway?"

I let out another sigh that gave away how I felt about the man. "I dunno, but…he was _hot_…"

* * *

**Hmmm… *wiggles eyebrows mischievously*** **Who **_**was**_** that man? Stay tuned :D**


	5. Dreaming of Frenzy

**So yeah, a fun little chapter. **

**My mom loves Bumblebee just as much as I do, and don't worry, Bumblebee will be appearing in the next chapter.**

**And the funny thing is, when my Mom watched _Transformers_ the whole way through, she went "Aw...he got the little guy!" when Megatron ripped Jazz in two. I laugh and cry when I think about it now. :')**

* * *

**Chapter Five: Dreaming of Frenzy**

I watched as Jazz walked over to my dog, a Beagle named Indiana. The small Transformer stopped in front of the brown, white, and black dog, and held a servo up for him to sniff. Indiana sniffed the servo before licking it with his slobbery tongue. I giggled when Jazz let out a "Ewww!" even though he was chuckling himself. Indiana began to sniff him all over, and Jazz couldn't help but collapse into laughter as the dog's nose tickled him. He rolled around in the grass, laughing and laughing, and I was glad Cybertronians didn't have to breathe. If he had to, he would have passed out.

I grinned. "I'm glad to see that you're getting along with my dog, Jazz," I laughed as he managed to get to his pedes and tried to walk away from the Beagle. But Indiana wouldn't have any of that, and kept sniffing Jazz until Jazz got an idea.

"I love this dog!" he said, before he gripped Indiana's red collar and hoisted himself up onto Indiana's back. He settled himself right behind Indiana's collar and gripped the collar with both servos. He grinned up at me before Indiana began to move. For the next thirty minutes, I watched Jazz ride Indiana like a cowboy, and I couldn't stop myself from grinning like it was my birthday the whole time.

But then my mind returned to the incident in the store. Who was that Italian? Why did he have such blue eyes? Why was he so tall—so _handsome_? I shook my head, but my smile refused to drop. I had so many questions at the moment, but I wasn't going to let them pull me down.

Eventually, I had to separate Jazz from Indiana with a promise that I would allow him to see Indy again. I retreated into my room above the garage with Jazz and sat down at my computer. Jazz sat down beside my laptop and transformed his servo into a USB plug-in. He then slid his servo into the only USB port on the left side of the laptop and began to hum, even as his body began to make strange beeping sounds. I cocked an eyebrow at his actions before iTunes was suddenly pulled up over the document I had been going to work on.

My eyes widened. "What are you doing?" I asked him shakily.

He looked up at me and smiled. It was an easy-going smile that calmed me and confused me at the same time. "Ah'm just downloadin' the songs on yah computah and storin' them on mah music chip. Ya do want meh to play songs when yah not near a music machine, don't ya?"

I watched as he synced all of the songs on my iTunes onto his 'music chip'. When he was done, iTunes closed and I could see the document again. But Jazz didn't unplug from the computer, even as he began to play "Lord of the Starfields" by Steve Bell from his small speakers. "What are you doing now?" I asked him.

"Ah'm fixin' yah computah so it can pick up any Autobot or Decepticon signal in the immediate area—and that includes the town," Jazz explained.

I nodded. "I…see…"

I watched as a window popped up on the screen and a map of Oilfield and the land in fifty square kilometers around it was shown. My family's land was shown on the edge of the map, and Jazz's signal popped up on it as a blue dot. Oilfield dominated the middle of the map in a tilted-to-the-right oval shaped mass of buildings. Another blue dot and a red dot were shown in the town. "So Bumblebee and Barricade are still in town. I wonder why they haven't left," I said. I assumed the red dot represented a Decepticon. And Barricade as the only Decepticon in the area.

"Ya saw Bumblebee?" Jazz asked, looking quite surprised. "Why didn't ya tell meh?"

I shrugged. "It slipped my mind." I sighed. "And it wasn't like I was searching for him on purpose. I was just minding my business, biking around Oilfield, when Barricade pulled me over for reckless biking." Jazz snorted. "I hadn't realized it was Barricade at the time, until I heard his voice enough and had gotten a good look at his car. Then I put two and two together and ran. But Barricade had managed to knock me off my bike, and demanded me for the AllSpark fragment I have. Just as Barricade went to kill me, Bumblebee knocked him down and saved me."

Jazz laughed. "Good ol' Bumblebee."

I chuckled before pulling up my document, and began to type on it. It had to be done.

* * *

_I transformed down into my alt-form and raced off, my two wheels churning up metal filings that were scattered around on the metallic ground of the factory district. I had come to this district at Optimus' command. He wanted me to keep a look out for any strange activity, since the Decepticons had grown very quiet for the last few megacycles. But why he wanted me to go alone was beyond me, because I was only a Minibot and it had been cutting it a little close when Megatron nearly captured me last time._

_::Twisterstrike, status report,::_

_Ah, well, Mirage was searching this place too, but he wasn't with me. We had split up a few joors ago to make our presence less obvious._

_::No sign of any Decepticons, Mirage,:: I said. ::It's quiet enough for the sparklings to sleep here.::_

_::Good, we don't need any trouble this close to home,:: he said. ::Let us meet up at where we split up. I'm beginning to become paranoid.::_

_::Same here. For once, I'm wishing I was your size,:: I said before performing a hairpin turn. I shot back the way I came, not slowing down as my spark threatened to hammer itself out of my frame. Silence accompanied by the foreboding feeling of being watched by sinister eyes chased me until Mirage came into view. I transformed up into my short bipedal form and dashed towards him. But when I was only fifty feet from him, something rammed into me from the side and carried me as it flew across the alley I had been running through._

_I cried out as I crashed into the outer wall of a factory. I slid to the ground, feeling several joints stiffen and spark. I rolled onto my back and looked up at my attacker, and saw a silver Minicon with four blue optics. I looked at him in astonishment with my two blue ones as my processor worked quickly to figure out who this Minicon was. Before the war, I knew many of the Minicons, and had heard of many more of them as well. My processor stopped working as I recognised him. "Frenzy!" I exclaimed._

"_T-T-Twisterstrike, A-A-A-Autobot M-Minicon!" Frenzy stuttered in his crazy way. "F-Frenzy's m-mission—collect M-Minibot T-Twisterstrike!"_

_::Mirage! If I can't take care of him, I'll need your assistance!::_

"_Why collect me? Why does Megatron want me? Why aren't you with Barricade?" I cycled fresh air in order to cool my panicking systems. "And why are you doing this? We're friends, remember?_!_ We used to create mischief all the time before you joined the Decepticons! Why do you want to lead me to my death?"_

"_M-Megatron won't h-hurt you," Frenzy said. "M-Megatron wants you as a p-p-pet! Y-you make M-Megatron happy, w-w-we may g-g-get to c-cause m-mischief a-again!"_

_I stared at him blankly before gently shoving him off of me with my legs. He gently rolled down the pile of parts we had landed on, and he looked up at me. "I don't want to be Megatron's pet, no matter how fun the mischief causing sounds. Maybe…if you become an Autobot, we may be able to do something like that…" I turned and ran towards Mirage, and I heard Frenzy running after me, but I also heard the whirring of his Minicon ion blasters. I dove into Mirage, and curled up into a tight ball as Mirage tore away._

* * *

I slowly opened my eyes to the sound of a quiet beeping sounding from my laptop, which I had left on and open before I had crashed down onto my bed, half asleep. I slowly rolled over and rubbed my eyes before looking at my laptop. I could see Jazz standing by the laptop, the light from the screen illuminating his front. With a yawn, I asked, "What is it, Jazz?" When I didn't get an answer from him, I climbed out of bed and stumbled over to the computer.

As I sat down at my desk, I glanced down and saw that I had crashed without changing into my pajamas. I was wearing a dark blue t-shirt and jeans. I had taken the hoodie off hours ago.

Jazz pulled up the Cybertronian Tracker (as I had come to call the map with the blips Jazz had put onto my computer), and saw Jazz's blip and Barricade's blip. But Bumblebee's blip had joined four new blue dots. My eyes widened and I drew in a sharp breath. "Is it them?" I asked the iPhone, referring to the five dots. "Are they coming?" I watched as the blips quickly made their way from town. And they were…heading straight for my property.

I whirled on Jazz. "They can't come here! Mom and Dad will surely wake up!" I glanced over at my digital radio clock that rested on my side table. "Even if its twelve in the morning! They're light sleepers! Mom rarely ever sleeps at all!"

Jazz winked at me. "Don't worry. Ah'll tell them to go to the back window."

I could only stare at him before I returned to staring at the screen. I had totally forgotten about the strange dream, and even as it nagged at the back at my mind, I shoved it out of my thoughs. I would think about it later.

As the blips made it to the area that was my family's farm, I could hear engines. I checked on the clock, and saw that it was twelve thirty. It had been a while since I had been up this late, but I didn't think I could back to sleep—I didn't even have intentions on going back to sleep! Not when I had visitors.

"They're here, Twistette!"


	6. My Guardian

**This chapter says it all. I seemed to churn it out ;P**

* * *

**Chapter Six: My Guardian**

I rushed to my back window, which was a bay window with a window seat, and jumped onto the window seat. I opened the window and both the windows and the screens swung outward. I inhaled deeply, tasting the night air, as I continued to hear the engines approaching. I rushed to the front window, and watched as a red Peterbuilt semi with blue flame decals, a yellow and black striped Camaro, a minty green Hummer H2 that was modified to be a rescue vehicle, a red Ferrari, and huge black GMC truck rolled almost silently down the driveway. It was like they muffled their engines, because the only thing I could hear was the faint sound of gravel crunching under their tires.

They avoided the parking area in front of the house and decided to go off-road in order to go behind the garage. I glanced at Jazz and picked him up before rushing to the back window. I leaned out as the semi-truck, the Camaro, the Hummer, the Ferrari, and the truck lined up in an orderly row. The scene literally took my breath away.

My eyes lingered on each vehicle before I felt Jazz push against my hands. I let him go and he climbed onto the windowsill. I watched with fascination as Jazz lit up the pieces of screen on parts of his armour before turning them off. He turned them on again and then turned them off again. He was signalling them…because…to make sure this was the right place, I believed.

After a few seconds, all of them transformed up. My eyes widened to a size I never knew was possible as I tried to watch all of their transformations at once. It was all so amazing…

The semi was done transforming first. I looked over at him and into his optics. I felt a shiver crawl up and down my spine as I thought, _I can't believe I'm seeing this!_

I blinked a few times. Wow.

But then I felt that I should be down outside, so I could get a better view of them all. If one of them leaned to look at me through the window, he would block the others. "Just one second," I said while holding up one finger to provide emphasis. I turned and grabbed Jazz, who yelled an indignant "Hey!", before dashing down and outside. I ran around the garage quietly, and skidded to a stop when I nearly crashed into one of their pedes.

They formed a rough semi-circle around me, with the bot who had been the semi closer to me and Jazz than the other were. I looked over at the closer bot as he knelt down in order to be closer to my level. "H-hi…" I said shakily, still feeling a little overwhelmed even though I knew everybot there. "I-I'm Twister." I held up Jazz, who held himself as straight as he could between my hands. "And this is…"

"Jazz…" the semi-bot said, his voice so deep that it felt like my heart vibrated. His bright blue optics focused on the iPhone before they snapped up to look at me. I slowly set Jazz down at my feet. But then his optics snapped back down at Jazz. "How are you still alive?" he rumbled.

Jazz, like the cool guy he was, smiled up at the bot. "The AllSpark had mercy on meh. It transferred meh to an 'iPhone', which Twistette here bought. Ah'm alive, baby!" I smiled slightly at Jazz's enthusiasm.

The bot's optics snapped back up to look at mine, and for a second, I felt intimidated. The way he seemed to peer at me for that second was…strange to see the least. What, hadn't he have seen a brown haired girl wearing reading glasses before?

"I'm Optimus Prime," the bot said, his voice once again causing my chest to vibrate. "We're a race of Autonomous Robotic Organisms, or Autobots, if you prefer. You are Twister, the girl who possesses a shard of the AllSpark as Jazz told us?"

I looked down at Jazz, and he looked up at me and smiled. He probably comm. linked them when they got in range. I looked back at Optimus, and suddenly noticed how close he was to me. His 'nose' was close enough for me to reach out and touch. "Y-yeah. D-do you want it. L-like, right now?"

"If you don't mind," Optimus said politely. "But introductions are in order." He stood to his pedes and to a step off to the side. He gestured to the Camaro-transformer. "This is Bumblebee, my scout."

I grinned up at the yellow and black striped mech. I waved and he waved back as he played, "_Hello-o-o, hello again!_" I laughed.

Optimus gestured to the Hummer-transformer. "This is my medic, Ratchet," he said as I thought, _Oh, please, no sniffing the air and announcing hormones!_ Ratchet offered a small smile.

"The girl seems to be in perfect health, Optimus, abet a weak immune system, and having a ratio of more white blood cells to red blood cells," Ratchet said. Huh, I hadn't even felt him scan me.

The Prime nodded at the green mech before gesturing to the Ferrari-transformer. And I had to refrain myself from drooling. "This is my top spy, Mirage," he said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Human Twister. I am sorry to have run into at the store earlier," he said, his Italian accent ringing clear in the night

My mind stalled. No Ferrari had run me over at Sobeys…but an Italian did… I blushed a deep red that matched Mirage's finish. "N-no problem!"

Optimus gestured to the final mech, who I couldn't help but stare at. The buff metal body was unmistakable. "And this is my weapons specialist, Ironhide."

Like I expected, Ironhide warmed up his cannons and pointed them at me. "You feelin' lucky, punk?" he said. Huh, that must be his trademark Ironhide-meets-new-human line. Either way, seeing the massive cannons pointed at me did nothing but make me nervous. But then, after reminding myself that Ironhide wouldn't hurt me (he takes care of a little girl, for goodness sake!), I smirked.

"I feel _very_ lucky," I said.

That earned a smirk from him as Optimus scolded him.

There was a small, awkward silence after Optimus finished scolding Ironhide, so I gestured at the garage. "I…guess…I'll go get the shard…then…" I said before slowly going back into the garage. But as soon as I was out of their sight, I rushed up into my room and performed a sort of victory dance in the middle of the room. The way my heart danced in my chest, and how my arms tingled with adrenaline fueled the dance. I couldn't wipe the smile off of my face.

I took deep breaths in order to calm myself down before I walked over to my desk. I reached over and plucked the AllSpark shard from where I had placed it on a shelf above my desk. I gripped it before rushing down and outside again. They were still in the same places they had been when I left them. I ran up to Optimus and held up the shard.

"Thank you," he said. He took it and subspaced it.

I looked up at them all, and sighed. Sadness pooled in my heart because I knew what was going to happen next. I touched my index fingers together and felt suddenly very awkward. "So…is this the part where you guys say goodbye and I have to forget about you?" I said slowly, my voice sounding slightly squeaky.

Optimus looked down at me. "I'm afraid that now that you've been in contact with us, Twister, I don't think we'll be able to leave you in hopes that you will not be targeted by either your government or the Decepticons." I stared up at him in shock.

"Wait…so the Canadian government hasn't allowed you to mingle with the Canadian citizens freely yet?" I was shocked. Canada was supposed to be a polite country, one of freedom for all beings.

Optimus had a serious look on his faceplates. "NEST is currently negotiating with your Prime Minister at the moment. Even though the United States are comfortable with us, Canada is still wary. Until they know that they can trust that we are able to protect the world from the Decepticons, we will have to work undercover." Optimus looked over at the Autobots under his command. His eyes focused on the Ferrari and I stiffened. "Mirage, since you were tasked in locating the girl, I want you to be her guardian."

My eyes widened as I looked at Mirage. He was shocked too, and he voiced it. "_Che cosa? Come...? Non vi aspettate di me...!"_ I rolled my eyes. I hadn't understood a word that he had said.

"Look…" I said to the cherry Transformer. "I'm guessing by the tone in your voice that you're not pleased by this development. But…there are things we have to deal with in life!"

There was a silence, but then Mirage nodded.

* * *

**Song used for Bumblebee's speech: "Hello Again" by the Cars**


	7. Ambitions

**So yeah, I had to type most of this up onto my mom's computer because my laptop decided to go all Decepticon on me and stopped working. :( My dad found 4 Trojan Horse viruses on it. Fraggin' stupid Decepticon punk glitches... Brains will just have to go to the doctor if my wonderful father can't crack the glitch. The **_**Computer**_** Doctor. Sorry, not you, Ratchet. -.-'**

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Ambitions**

Well, Mirage was now my guardian. He had been very quiet after his small objection and after I had scolded him. I was perfectly happy to have him as my guardian, but since the Autobot transformed down into a _Ferrari_, I didn't know how I was going to keep him from my parents' prying eyes. I couldn't just say I saved up for the Ferrari, because I didn't have a job, and I had never had a job that would allow me to save up for something so quickly.

So Mirage was going to hide in the abandoned barn in the back of the property.

All that flew through my mind as I watched Optimus, Ratchet, Bumblebee, and Ironhide transformed down into their alt-forms. Bumblebee was going to stay in Oilfield so he could keep tabs on Barricade. That made me happy even as I watched the rest of the Autobots go with sadness gathering in the pit of my stomach. Jazz hugged my leg possessively as they drove away. He hadn't wanted to go with them even when they suggested that they were fine with him coming. And I was secretly glad, since he was my cell phone, and if my parents realized he was gone, then I would be in trouble. Like: 'Where's your phone, Mikaela? I'm not spending such and such a month for you to lose it!'

I watched the lights from their break-lights slowly get smaller and smaller and smaller… And then… they were gone.

I stood there, with Jazz still clinging to my leg, listening to the silence that followed the Autobots' departure. All I could hear was the faint roaring of the wind as it whipped between the trees that surrounded the small clearing of land we had in the middle of the property. After a few moments, I heaved a sigh and hung my head. "Well…that was amazing…" I murmured softly before I turned to look at Mirage. He stood there, between the trees that stood behind the garage, looking as regal as a war-hardened Autobot could get.

But then there was noise. I looked over towards the house and watched as a light was turned on in my parents' room. I gasped and looked up at Mirage. "Hide!" I hissed before opening the back door of the garage and dashing inside. Jazz clung onto my leg to avoid the risk of injury as I clambered up into my room. I stumbled over to the back window and closed it while watching as Mirage quickly cloaked himself as he tip-toed deeper into the trees.

I sighed and kicked off my shoes before sinking into bed. I prepared to fall asleep, taking deep breaths to calm my thundering heart…

My eyes snapped open. Why was I _really_ feeling like Sam Witwicky at this moment?

And with that feeling of déjà vu and the sound of Dad coming up the stairs, I fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning, I sat up in bed groggily to find my dad draped out on the floor in a sleeping bag. My tortoiseshell kitten, Pebbles was curled up between my feet, but my attention was drawn over to my father's sleeping figure.

My eyes widened when my mind cleared enough to realize that he had watched over me for the whole night. Where was Jazz? I whipped my head around and zeroed in on my phone resting on my side-table. Good, so he had transformed before he had gone into recharge. I breathed a sigh of relief.

Pebbles jerked awake at the sound of my sigh before she got to her feet and stretched. She then jumped down onto the floor with a hollow thud. That, in turn, startled my father awake. I watched him with wide eyes as he slowly climbed out of the sleeping bag before getting stiffly to his feet. "Morning…Dad…" I said hesitantly. "Did you…uh…sleep well?"

Dad yawned and rubbed his face with one hand. He then absentmindedly rubbed his greying brown moustache. "Very good, actually," he said as he glared at my side table lamp. I looked at him, then my lamp, then back at him, and then back at the lamp.

"What?" I asked, indicating the lamp. "What's wrong with it?"

"Huh?" he started. He looked at me and then at my lamp and then back at me. "Oh…sorry, I have just a lot on my mind." He sighed and sat down on the foot of my bed. He looked deeply into my eyes with fatherly love and worry. "Last night, I heard several voices before several cars drove off of our property. Someone was on our property, and by the sounds of it, they were close to the garage. I came out here to make sure you're safe." His New Zealand accented voice mirrored the emotions I saw in his eyes.

"Close call then, eh?" I said, cocking an eyebrow.

Dad just shook his head and stepped out of my room. I sat there for a couple of minutes as I listened to Dad leave and go back to the house. I heaved a sigh as I heard Jazz transform, and felt him climb onto my shoulder. "That was sweet," he said quietly. "Twistette, he doesn' know about the Autobots, so if he suddenly restricts ya, an' keeps ya from goin' out by yahself, it'll just be because he loves ya an' wants ta keep ya safe."

I hummed and leaned my head towards him. He wrapped his short arms around my head in comfort. "I don't know what I'd do if I am going to be trapped here, Jazz…"

The former Solstice chuckled and let go of my head. "Remembah there's Mirage… He's been kinda forced to watch ovah ya. He might need someone ta talk ta," he reminded me.

I nodded slowly before I got to my feet, went down and out of the garage, and wandered over to the house. Jazz transformed and hid in my pocket. When I was inside, I made my way over to the kitchen. I took out a bagel and the cream cheese, and spread the cream cheese onto the bagel. After that was done, I put everything away and took out a Rubbermaid bottle and pored chocolate milk into it. After putting the milk away, I took the bottle and the milk and walked back outside. Before I bit into the bagel, I asked Jazz, "Have you had any contact from Mirage this morning?"

"Nope. He must still be in recharge," Jazz said as he transformed and climbed onto my shoulder.

I quickly began to eat my breakfast and saved the milk for later as I began to walk quickly between the trees. I silently thanked Dad for having the underbrush cleared as I finished my bagel and began to swing both arms to help me to walk faster. It was not like I was worried about Mirage—he could take care of himself, I'm sure of it. But if he was so far out and a Decepticon decided to attack, he wouldn't be able to get through the trees and to me in time.

I finally spotted the red Ferrari through the white bark of the birches and let out a sigh of relief. I slowed down and tip-toed towards the alt-form before I came to a stop in front of him. I looked down at the Ferrari symbol on his hood and took in the picture of the rearing horse. I sighed and rolled my eyes as my mother's voice seemed to mock me from the back of my mind. I had to take care of my horse, since I had been neglecting her a bit for the last few days because of the Autobots and all that stuff...

I sighed and sat down on a stump before fiddling with the lid of my bottle. "Morning, Mirage," I said sweetly before I took a sip of my milk.

The Ferrari made a humming sound before Mirage slowly transformed into his bipedal form. He blinked his optics, and looked down at me before he straightened. "Twister," he acknowledged before looking around. Jazz nudged the side of my head.

I ignored him. "Did I bring you out of recharge early? I'm sorry if I did..."

"You didn't bring me out of recharge, _seniorita_," Mirage said, glancing down at me as the sound of my mother letting Indiana out of the house reached our ears/audios. I blushed at what he called me. '_Seniorita_'. Darn, did all Italians have to be so chivalrous? "Do you have anywhere to go today? If I must be your guardian, then I must guard you with my spark."

I cocked an eyebrow at him, my blush fading. He was taking this very seriously, it seemed. "Well...I was planning on seeing if Barricade was still in town—but I wouldn't be actually _seeing_ him, mind you. I just wanna see if he's gone or not, and Bumblebee's in town. It can't hurt..."

"Then I'll be taking you."

"Well, _excuse_ me," I said. "If you suddenly drove out of here with me in your driver's seat, Mom and Dad would surely see us. They would think you're kidnapping me. And then, when they caught up with us, they would 'rescue'" at that, I made quotation marks in the air as I said 'rescue', "me, and take me home. They would lock me in the guest room _forever_ in order to keep me 'safe'." Mirage glared at me. At that, I said, "I'm just stating the facts."

"Twistette's right," Jazz spoke up from my shoulder. "Her parents are very overprotective. She woke up ta find her dad sleepin' on the floor. When he heard us talkin' last night, he thought there were crooks on the property."

Mirage rolled his optics with a grumble. "Then tell your creators that you're going to town. I will cloak myself and make my way off of your property. Meet me at the end of the road." He then disappeared into thin air, and for someone his size, I didn't even hear him go.

I turned to Jazz, "Well, let's go." I said with a shrug.

* * *

With a sigh, I glanced around. There was no sign of either Decepticon nor Autobot—other than the Ferrari that sat behind me and the iPhone that was nestled in my pocket. Where was Bumblebee? I wanted to be able to talk to him, since I had _conveniently_ forgotten to thank him when he was behind the garage with the others last night. I owed him my life—and he wasn't even my guardian.

I sighed as Jazz vibrated. "Twistette, yah parents texted ya," he whispered from my pocket.

"Thanks," I whispered back. I glanced back at Mirage and nodded once before I began to walk up the sidewalk. I turned a corner and continued walking, but a flash of black and white had me diving behind a wall. Jazz cried out as he flew from my pocket by the forces of gravity and was forced to transform in order to land safely. I peeked up over the short wall and watched as the cruiser drove slowly by. I read the words on the stickers on its sides. 'To punish and enslave', my eyes darted to another, 'RCMP—Royal Canadian Mounted Police', well that was a new one. The RCMP sticker was emblazoned in sharp cobalt blue on his white doors. And then there was his Decepticon sticker just behind his front wheels. "So he's still here!" I said, my face calm but my voice squeaking slightly, betraying my fear.

Jazz crawled slowly towards me and transformed. I checked the text and found they wanted to know where I was and what I was doing. I quickly texted back, constantly glancing up to keep an eye on Barricade as he reached the end of the street, as I told them I was in town, and that I was going to go to The Boot Shop (the horse riding gear store). Jazz then transformed again, and together we ran into an alley. We quickly ran through it and shot out the other side. I slid over the hood of a car before I turned and glanced back in the direction we came from, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"That...was close..." I said slowly, looking down at Jazz. He looked up at me, his visor dim as his cooling fans worked overtime to keep his systems from overheating. And then I realized I was pretty much doing the same thing: my chest was heaving as my lungs worked hard in order to supply myself with enough oxygen. The edges of my vision were dark, but that quickly faded away, and I was able to straighten, and return my breathing to normal.

"Barricade is still in town, but why? He must know that the AllSpark shard is not here anymore," Jazz said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "So what's the 'Con up ta?"

"The Decepticons probably want to keep tabs on me. They probably have this weird notion that I will miraculously find more shards." I sighed before sitting down crosslegged with my back to a wall belonging to a bank's storefront. I frowned and looked down at my hands, which were clasped on my lap. "But I won't be finding anymore shards... I just want to stay safe."

Jazz looked at me before climbing onto my lap. He transformed down into his phone form as he said, "Ah've contacted Bumblebee. He should be here right away."

"Thank's Jazz." I sighed. "But what about Mirage?"

"He's comin' too."

I sat there, waiting. I absentmindedly ran my fingers over Jazz's alt-form, and he shivered in response, showing that he was enjoying it. "Aw...man...keep goin', Twistette...it feels so _good_..." I giggled at that before the sound of an engine caught my attention. I looked up to see Bumblebee parallel parking in a space in front of us. A few whirrs and clicked emanated from him before he said, "_Nice to see you again_."

I couldn't help but giggle as I got to my feet. "Same here, 'Bee," I said as I stepped towards him. "Jazz and I saw Barricade earlier, but thankfully, he didn't see us."

"_That's good_."

I ran a hand along his hood and he shook slightly from obvious enjoyment, causing me to smile.

"_The boss...wants you to...know...why we...needed the...shard..._" he explained, flickering through several radio channels. He paused to see if I would respond.

I nodded. "I was wondering what you were going to do with it, since you guys accepted it and then just..._left_." I balanced myself on my right leg.

"_Righty-o,_" he said with the voice of Michael Knight from _Knight Rider_ before beginning the recorded message from Optimus Prime. _"Twister, we are deeply grateful for the AllSpark shard that you returned to us. The reason we needed it was for the purpose of finding a good friend and comrade: Samuel James Witwicky. He has been missing for the last month, and we have reason to believe the Decepticons have him. We do not know why they might have him, but by using your AllSpark fragment, Que may be able to use it to track him, for the boy still contains the residual AllSpark radiation from when it burned him on his first day of college. We thank you again, and we hope that one day you will be free from Decepticon threat once again."_

When the recording was done, I looked at Bumblebee as a thousand thoughts whirled around my mind. Sam Witwicky was missing? He might be in the Decepticon clutches? Que? Why was he still alive? Didn't Barricade execute him? Then again, a lot of things really didn't line up with Bay's movies. Ironhide was still alive for one, and Jazz—who was supposed to have _died in Mission City_—was my iPhone.

"I see..." I said slowly as Mirage finally arrived and parked behind Bumblebee. My thoughts continued to swirl around in my brain, but some began to solidify and bunch together. After a few seconds they—excuse the pun—transformed into a plan I didn't realize I was formulating.

Mirage's engines rumbled. "I believe that we must return to your home," he said.

I looked at him and narrowed my hazel eyes at the red Ferrari. "That can wait a sec," I said, letting the seriousness I was feeling show in my voice.

"Why all the seriousness?" Jazz asked.

"I do believe this can wait until we get back to the property," Mirage said.

I growled. "It cannot wait, Mirage—I'll forget by the time we get home," I stated.

"_...I know what you want from me..._" Bumblebee sang.

I smirked and crossed my arms. "Oh? And what's that?"

"_You want...to help...the boss...find...Sam..._" Bumblebee pieced together.

I stood there, shocked, my mouth hanging open. I quickly closed my mouth and blinked a few times. "How...did you know?"

Bumblebee used a clip of someone laughing. "_I could tell...that you wanted to help...there was a look...in your eye..._"

I stood there, looking at the yellow and black Camaro. He was one of my favourite Autobots for a reason, but I never knew he could be that perceptive. It was like he knew that I wanted to go help Optimus halfway through the recording. It was just...amazing...

Mirage was shocked to say the least. "Optimus wanted me to protect you! Not to put you in danger, in the line of fire. And what would your parents say if you suddenly disappeared?" I glared at him.

"Then I would need some help from the military, won't I?"

There was a shocked silence. I could suddenly hear the birds and the wind quite clearly. "Um...?"

"How the heck are ya going to contact NEST?" Jazz asked me from my pocket.

My eyebrows rose slightly as my bangs threatened to fall into my eyes. "Through my laptop, how else?"

* * *

**So, Twister's got a plan. And I like it :) I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and remember, I have no idea when the next one will be up. If my dad cannot fix it, I'll have to turn it over to a computer store and let the experts deal with the problems. But at least this was a long chapter :D and it was a cliffhanger n_n I know how you guys hate those!**

"_**...I know what you want from me..."**_** from: "Sweet Little Bumblebee". I have no idea who sings it.**


	8. Disappointment

**So Brains, my laptop, has been terminated. The Computer doctor found out that his hard-drive was shot, so my parents had to get me a new laptop—an Asus. It's blue, and I love it. I've named her Teletran-1, and yes, it's a girl ;)**

**Now that I've got a laptop that **_**works**_**, you can expect faster updates. I've got the next chapter halfway done, and let me tell you, IT IS HUGE! I'm already pas 3k words and I'm STILL NOT DONE!**

**And yesterday, I saw a red Topkick and a black convertible Pontiac Solstice! *gapes* Almost Ironhide and Jazz!**

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Disappointment**

I sat at my laptop, which rested on my desk, going through the Transformers wiki to see if I knew enough information to sound intelligent when Jazz opened a video communication through my computer. It was not like I was stupid about Transformers, but I wasn't as knowledgeable as some Transfans. I hadn't watched G1 or Cybertron, or Energon, etc. I had only watched _Transformers_, and _Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen_, _Transformers: Animated_, _Transformers: Prime_, and some episodes of _Transformers: Armada_. And I had only read information and FanFiction adaptions of _Transformers: Dark of the Moon_. This was 2012, and the events of _Dark of the Moon_ happened in 2011, and since then, I had no idea what had happened since then. The wiki didn't shed any light on anything...and there was no news on the next movie. All the information they had on "Transformers 4" was that it was going to come out in 2014. Well...there were rumors that Transformers 4 was going to be a reboot of the G1 Transformers movie.

And was Michael Bay going to talk about what happened in the last three years when the movie came out? I don't think so.

But did that mean that whatever I did might be recorded in the fourth Transformers movie? Well...that would be very interesting.

And... since the Transformers are real, and that it seemed that I _had not_ been transported to another universe like some girls in the FanFictions had, did Michael Bay _know_ about the Transformers from the beginning, and that the governments of the world had been hiding the Cybertronians from us? Why hadn't me and my family heard about the attack on Mission City when I was twelve? Why hadn't we heard about the Sun Harvester on the 700 Club, who have their sights on the Middle East 24/7? And Chicago...Chicago..._why hadn't we heard about that_?_!_

My eyes narrowed. Had the American government threatened the Canadian government to keep quiet about our alien friends? I shook my head; there were too many conspiracy theories flying around in there. The US didn't want Canada storming Washington again. They didn't want the Canadians setting fire to the White House. _Again._

So why did _absolutely no one_ know that the Transformers were real? Did they just want to keep the world safe from the Decepticons?

Finally, I shook my head again and closed the Internet Explorer window containing the wiki. I closed my laptop and glanced over at Jazz, who was recharging comfortably on my side table. I wasn't going to wake him up so that he could connect me to NEST. Not yet, anyway. I had to think over what I should say, and I still had to go and ride my horse. I had been so busy with "Cybertronian business", that all I had done was watered her and fed her. I hadn't spent any quality time with her or fed her any well-earned treats. And I felt very guilty about it.

Getting up, I quietly searched for my cell phone pouch, and when I found it, I clipped it to my belt and then gently picked Jazz up. I moved very slowly, taking extra care to not wake him up as I slowly twisted and slid him into the pouch. I then carefully pulled the "lid flap" of the pouch over the opening and secured it with the Velcro. With a smile of satisfaction, I picked up my riding helmet from where it hung on my wall on a rack of hooks next to my bike helmet, and my black army field cap, and walked lightly down the stairs and down into the garage. On my way out of the garage, I grabbed my horse's halter and lead rope, and pulled on my brown cowboy boots.

I quickly jogged towards my horse's pasture. I detoured, though, and made my way to where Mirage had settled into the abandoned barn. I grinned as I walked up to the large double doors, and gripped the handles. I slowly pulled them open and stepped inside. The sun shone in behind me and glinted off of Mirage's blood-red finish. "Hey, Mirage," I said softly.

He rocked on his axles slightly in acknowledgment. I held a finger up to my lips and made a soft "shh..." noise before I pointed down to my hip, where Jazz was resting in the pouch. Mirage's holoform—the man who had run me over at Sobeys—appeared and stepped out of his alt-form before he silently shut his door. He nodded before whispering, "What do you need, Twister?"

I smiled. "I'm going to ride my horse, care to watch?"

He stared at me with those almost glowing blue eyes. But then he looked down. I followed his gaze and saw his shoes morph from dress shoes to a pair of black cowboy boots. I grinned and looked back up at him before I turned and lead the way to the paddock Star, my horse, was kept in. I climbed the fence while Mirage stayed by the gate as I walked over to where my horse was grazing. I got her to bring her head up before I draped the lead rope over her neck. She willingly put her head into the halter, and I did it up.

I lead her to the gate, and Mirage opened it. I thanked him with a smile before I lead Star up to the arena. I was going to ride her without a saddle and bridle today.

I stopped my horse in the middle of the arena and laid the lead rope across the base of her neck. I then tied the end of the lead rope to the same link the top of the lead rope was clipped to, forming a set of impromptu reins. I then turned towards Mirage, who stood, watching, by the closed gate we had come through, and waved for him to come over. When he came to stand beside me, he began to rub Star's neck. She sniffed him once before she snorted and went back to waiting for me to get on her back. I looked at Mirage and blushed.

"Could you help me get on her?" I asked him, trying to hide my embarrassment. Mirage only nodded and squatted. He cupped his hands and I placed my knee in them. I looked down at him and said, "At the count of three, you heave, I jump." He nodded in confirmation. I turned to look over my horses back and took a deep breath. "One..." I started hopping. "Two..." I was readying myself so I would jump at the same time Mirage lifted me up. "Three!" I cried, before I suddenly found myself on my horse's back. I looked down at Mirage and blinked in surprise. I hadn't even jumped. "Uh...thank you?"

"My pleasure," Mirage chuckled.

I touched Jazz's recharging form softly before I gripped the lead rope with both hands. Then I squeezed firmly with my legs, telling my horse to move forward.

I ended up riding my horse around the arena about ten times in both clockwise and counter-clockwise directions. By the time I was done, evening was approaching, but supper wasn't going to be until six, because my dad wasn't home yet. So I directed Star over to where Mirage was standing and got off. "Do you want to have a ride?" I asked him.

He looked at me, and then at Star before nodding once. He dematerialized before rematerializing on Star's back. He picked up the lead rope, and waited for Star to settle after being shocked by Mirage's holoform's sudden weight on her back.

For the next hour, I watched Mirage ride Star around the arena in slow circles.

Who knew the Autobot's were interested in riding horses, eh?

* * *

After dinner, I went to my room, and set Jazz down on my desk, by my laptop. He was still recharging, and I couldn't believe it. I had been riding, and then I had been sitting at a noisy dinner table. So now, I had 'gone to bed' as my parents thought I had, and I was ready to open up a video channel to NEST.

I stroked Jazz's sides, and the reaction I got was purring. He was purring in his recharge! I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Wake up, Jazz-man," I said softly, gently shaking him. I got a snort from him before slowly transformed. He sat down in front of my laptop and blinked his optics owlishly up at me. He then fully onlined his optics and pulled his visor down over his eyes.

"Wha' da ya need?" he asked, his accent as thick as ever.

I smiled at him. "It's time to connect to NEST, Jazz. I've figured out what I want to say," I explained.

He nodded slowly before he walked over to the USB port on the side of the laptop. He transformed his servo into a USB plug in, and plugged it in. I opened my laptop and it instantly was brought out of hibernation. I saw the desktop for one second, before the screen went dark, and data streamed across it. Then the words _Connecting to NEST_ popped up. I proceeded to wait, but paused when I heard the sound of distant thunder.

I got to my feet and walked over to the front window. I looked out and saw ominous dark clouds on the horizon. I sighed and rolled my eyes. All I could do was hope that I would be able to talk to _somebody_ at NEST before the storm rolled in and forced me to unplug my computer. I wouldn't have that much time after I unplugged it, because the battery would then die after just ten minutes. But hey, it was my fault that I left it plugged in all the time. It killed the battery.

I ended up waiting about five minutes before NEST's current logo replaced the words on the screen. Then, a few seconds after that, the logo faded away, and I suddenly found myself looking at a overweight African-American young man that wore a pair of glasses that made him look like a nerd. But I was a nerd myself, so I wasn't being racist.

"What the—!" he exclaimed in surprise as my Transfan mind instantly matched the young man's voice to the character named Glen. And by his response to the suddenly connection, it truly meant that we were connected and that he could see me just as much as I could see him. "Uh...uh..." he said in my direction. "H-hold on a second." He then got up and disappeared from the screen.

I sighed. "Take your time..."

I tapped my fingers on my desktop as I waited for someone—_anyone_ to come on screen. I didn't want to be impatient, but I had waited long enough and my nerves were strung tight. I had vaguely set up what I wanted to say, and had figured out what words sounded appropriate. Of course, as I sat there, listening to a set of approaching footsteps that were caused by—probably—steel-toed boot-clad feet, I realized that I should have practiced and role-played with Jazz and Mirage.

A man in military clothing appeared and I quickly straightened my posture. He sat down where Glen had been sitting and looked at me with a cool look in his eyes and an impassive look on his face. I remained quiet, trying to keep myself from looking nervous. I recognised this man, but it had been so long since I had watched any of the movies, that I couldn't place his face.

But I didn't get to dwell much on it before the man cleared his throat. "State your name and business for hacking into a private military channel," he said roughly. And it was like he had switched a light bulb on in my head. It was Colonel Lennox!

I shifted nervously in my seat. "My name is...Mikaela Cody...but to the Autobots, I'm known as Twister," I said slowly. I blinked as I felt nervous sweat roll down the back of my neck.

Lennox hummed, the serious look never wavering. "So you're the kid they visited up in Canada. You fit Prime's description." he breathed a sigh. "I'm Colonel Lennox of NEST. According to Prime's report, you are Twister, and you had the AllSpark fragment in your possession until last night when they visited you in your backyard. The report also stated that Jazz, the Autobot that we all thought was long dead, has become your iPhone as is currently with you. Is that correct?"

I nodded.

"Alright. The report also says that you were attacked by Barricade before we learned of the AllSpark fragment's location, and Bumblebee saved you. Since then, Bumblebee has stayed in-town, watching for Barricade, and Mirage has become your personal guardian."

I nodded again. "Barricade was looking for the AllSpark fragment, and he somehow knew that I had it. They probably want to use it to revive Megatron again, while you guys want it to find Samuel Witwicky."

It was his turn to nod. "Correct." Suddenly, there was the sound of something crashing to the ground from behind Lennox, and he cringed. He turned in his seat allowing me to see what had fallen, since the computer Lennox was sitting at in order to talk to me was on some kind of catwalk suspended four stories off of the ground in a massive hanger. And on the floor, in a massive heap, were two box-shaped robots: one red and the other green. And behind them stood the strong figure of Ironhide. And it looked like he was scolding the two robots in Cybertronian. The alien noises were rough on the ears. "Ironhide!" Lennox shouted at him. "I'm in the middle of an important video conference with the girl you visited last night! Take the scolding to another room!"

I watched as Ironhide grumbled under his breath and took one robot in each hand before walking out of sight. Lennox turned back to me, and I let my shock show on my face. "O...kay...?"

Lennox chuckled. "Don't mind them." He became serious again. "Anyway, yes, that is why we needed your AllSpark fragment." He opened his mouth to say something, but I couldn't help it and cut him off.

"Colonel, the reason I contacted you is because I would like to help you find Sam," I said.

Lennox's eyes rose in surprise. "A citizen? You? I'm afraid you don't have the clearance."

I frowned. "Come on, Colonel! _Please_?"

I felt something nudging my hand before Jazz climbed onto my lap. Lennox looked down at Jazz and seemed to study him quietly. Jazz looked at Lennox before clasping his servos together and putting a cute look on his faceplates. "Aw, Colonel, _pwease_? We've talked about it, an' Mirage has finally agreed to it! An' ya know how Mirage is!"

Lennox sighed and looked away from Jazz's puppy-dog look. I allowed myself to chuckle as Lennox seemed to have some sort of inner war with himself.

"Please, Colonel?" I whispered.

He sighed. "No, I'm sorry, but no."


	9. The Processor

**So the plot thickens in this chapter. n_n This chapter is pretty impressive in my eyes. Longest chapter in a multi-chapter fic written by moi ^.^**

**Thank you **_Kaitlyn Thorne, MissShelz, Camigirl215, Autobot Sundancer, and XxLosAngelesGirlxX_ **for reviewing (just so you know, I'm going to start listing who reviewed for the last chapter).**

* * *

**Chapter Nine: The Processor**

The thunder roared ominously overhead, but I didn't care as I leaned out my back window precariously. The sky was dark from both the time of night and the heavy storm clouds, and it did nothing to help my mood. Even when lightning struck less than a kilometer away, I did not duck inside. Mirage had transformed up into his bipedal form, and was standing next to the window, just under the overhang. I glanced over to him before I began wondering about several things. But one seemed to stand out.

_Mirage...is tall... How the heck is the garage and my room combined tall enough to shelter him from the storm?_

The overhang wasn't very big, though, so Mirage was still being rained on. But he didn't seem to mind that the cool precipitation was touching him, and I was glad. I was lonely, and after what Lennox had said, that no, I could not help them look for Sam, I needed both my guardian and my phone in my presence in order to regain my self esteem, which I had basically lost when Lennox basically made me feel like a useless child. Jazz was currently perched on my right shoulder and was resting a comforting servo on the back of my head.

With a sigh, I looked over at Mirage and mused, _He's like a giant lightening rod..._

That caused me to shutter. For a brief second, I was reminded of how dangerous storms could be. But I quickly forgot about it when Mirage turned and looked at me with his intense blue optics. His optics held my gaze and I found that I couldn't look away. I felt Jazz grip my hair as he leaned out slightly. But I didn't look away from Mirage's optics. It was weird. It was like I had lost all motor functions. "Yes...Mirage?" I asked slowly.

"Stop moping," he scolded. It shocked me, because Mirage had never scolded me since he had become my guardian. He narrowed his optics at me before he said, "Lennox doesn't want you to get in the line of fire, but it doesn't mean that you cannot help NEST in other ways." His expression reverted to its normal calm expression. "I've just sent a message to Optimus. I've requested that he find something for you to help NEST with. I might not get a reply for a while." And with that, he turned back to look out into the storm.

* * *

_Fear._

_Ice cold fear._

_That's all I felt as I grasped the sparkling in my arms. I looked down at him as I skated down the alley and towards base. The sparkling was growing weak, and I was having trouble carrying him. He was old enough to be a youngling, yet he hadn't grown into his youngling stage yet. But my inability to carry the sparkling wasn't what was making me feel so afraid. It was how the sparkling's optics were dimming gradually. It made my spark hum with panic. The sparkling was dying._

_I needed to get him to Ratchet._

How I wish I was as tall as Mirage!_ I would be able to get the sparkling to the yellow medic in time. I would be able to save him. But only if I was as tall as my partner._

"_Hold on, sweetspark," I whispered to the sparkling as I whipped around a corner. "Listen to my voice and stay awake. For me. Please."_

"_Twister', why are you rushing?" the sparkling, Goldray, asked me. "Why are you rushing?"_

_It broke my spark to see the sparkling in such peace. He didn't even know he was dying. He wasn't feeling any pain. He wasn't feeling his spark slowly going out. In a way, it comforted me for less than a nanoklik that he wasn't going to feel himself die. He would simply close his optics, like he was going into recharge, and when he opened his optics to be greeted by his carrier and sire in the well of AllSparks. I had known his sire and carrier. They had died when Praxus had been split._

_And I didn't want Goldray to die. I wanted him to stay, to be my buddy._

_I looked down at Goldray again and my worried expression softened. "I'm just worried for you, Goldray, that's all. My scans tell me that you're not doing so good," I explained as I whipped around another corner, the wheels on my pedes literally smoking from how fast they were spinning._

"_How can you tell?" Goldray asked me._

"_I've got scanners that tell me what's going on, sparkling," I said as I turned left so sharply, that I nearly flew off my pedes. But I righted myself and kept on going. "And what my scanners tell me is not good. What do you feel, 'Ray?"_

_He looked up at me and his optics dimmed a little bit more. "Tired, sleepy. No pain."_

No pain, that's good,_ I thought as the base came into view. "Don't fall asleep, alright? Stay awake and talk to Twisterstrike," I said urgently as I put all the energy I had left into my legs and pedes. I shot forward to my maximum speed as I felt the tires on my pedes begin to get worn down. I was putting a lot of stress on myself in order to keep Goldray alive, and I wasn't regretting it for a moment._

_The mechs that guarded the gate into the base from hidden locations saw me and allowed the front gates to open. I didn't have enough breath in order to thank them and I was going too fast. And my manners were at the back of my processor at the moment. I continued at my speed, careening dangerously down the halls towards the med-bay. Layers of my tires were literally peeling off now, and with a quick glance down, I saw that I didn't have much rubber between my rims and the floor. And soon I was going to start feeling the pain and I would have to revert my wheels into normal pedes. _

_That would greatly reduce my speed and it might send me tumbling head over heels if I wasn't careful with maintaining my balance when I switched from skating to running. But I wasn't going to switch until I really had to. Goldray came first. In this situation, I came second._

_I opened up a comm. connection to Ratchet. ::Ratchet, you better be in the med-bay,:: I said, allowing my fear and concern flow into my voice._

_::What is the matter, Twisterstrike?:: the medic asked me as I leaned close to the ground in order to make it around a sharp corner._

_::It's Goldray, I've found him and he's not doing too good. His Decepticon uncle did more than we realized when I managed to get him out of that facility.::_

_::Primus! What are his symptoms?::_

_::No pain. Fatigue. He says he feels like he's going into recharge. I'm trying to keep him awake as we speak,:: I told him._

_There was a small silence in which I looked down at Goldray and shook him slightly in order to make sure he was still awake and with me. Ratchet then sighed. ::I'm ready for you to bring him in. Hurry!::_

_::I'm going as fast as I can, Ratch'! I'm running outta wheel!:: I growled as my processor slipped back to Goldray's backstory._

_When Goldray's creators died, the Autobots took him and his brother, Silverspark, in. Goldray and Silverspark had been totally fine in the Autobot base until it was attacked and we had to move. While we were moving, one of the convoys had been attacked. Goldray's uncle, the Decepticon Shockwave, managed to separate Goldray and the femme that had been taking care of him from the rest of the convoy. Shockwave had shown no mercy when he had offlined the femme and had taken Goldray. Optimus Prime wanted to rescue Goldray, but we couldn't do anything until after we were done moving. So just when the last object had been put in place in the new base, I was unleashed. I located and managed to sneak into the Decepticon dungeons in the bowels of Kaon. And I located him, curled up in a ball, bawling his optics out. But to me, his bright goldenrod paint was like a ray of hope in all that darkness. Because that was what he was._

_But now he was dying. One of the glitchmice I had seen in Goldray's dungeon must have bit him, because something—maybe a virus—was killing him._

_The med-bay came into view, and I shot towards it like a rocket. The med-bay doors opened before I even reached them, and suddenly I was inside. I rushed over to Ratchet and handed the sparkling to him. Then I rushed over to a ladder and climbed up onto the berth Ratchet had set Goldray onto._

_Pain suddenly rippled up my legs from the rims of my wheels. I glanced down as my optics widened, realizing that all of the rubber from my wheels had been sheared off, and now I was feeling the effects of it. I slowly transformed my wheels back into pedes and walked over to where Goldray lay. _

_I sat down beside him and put my servos under his helm. I gently lifted it and set it down on my lap. "How are you feeling now, 'Ray?" I asked softly. He looked fine now that I wasn't rushing, maybe Ratchet was going to be able to save him. "_Always look at the bright side, Twisterstrike,"_ were the words my carrier had told me whenever I had felt down or felt sad. I should look at the bright side of this situation. Ratchet was going to be able to save Goldray._

_I watched as Ratchet scanned Goldray. I looked at his expression as he went over the information the scan had given him. His scanners were a lot stronger than mine, so he would know what was wrong and he would be able to save him. But as I watched Ratchet's faceplates, and saw how they changed from calm and slightly worried to dread and sadness, reality hit me full on once again._

_There was no hope._

"_I'm sorry, Twisterstrike...but I can't do anything to save him."_

_When those words left his mouth, it felt like I had been stabbed by a plasma sword as big as Prime's. There was no hope for my buddy? My buddy was going to die?_

_I looked down at Goldray and looked into his dimming blue optics. They used to burn so bright with life, they were like two stars. But now, they were dimming. They looked like _dying_ stars._

_Goldray looked up to me and gave me a sad smile. He was such a grave sparkling. "Could you sing for me, Twisterstrike?" he asked me in his sweet little voice._

_I nodded slowly as I searched my processor. I remembered reading about how, back in the golden age, there was a spaceport open to other stars. It connected to many other planets, some of them organic. Several Cybertronians had even settled on those planets—even the organic ones—and had made friends and alleys with the inhabitants! But what I remembered the most clearly was the stories and the descriptions of the organic planets. And it reminded me of a lullaby my carrier sang to me. She had learned it from her carrier, who was lucky enough to have lived during the Golden Age._

_I cleared my vocalizer and sighed. "Deep in the meadow, under the willow..." I looked down to see Goldray smiling at me. I had sung this to him once before, when the gunfire had been especially loud and the sparklings/younglings had been afraid. "...A bed of grass, a soft green pillow. Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes. And when you wake, the sun will rise..."_

_A drop of fluid fell from my optic as I tried to smile encouragingly to him. 'Ray wasn't going to wake again, he wasn't going to see the next sunrise of Cybertron's tired sun. Why, Primus, why do you have to end Goldray's life so soon? "...Here it's safe, and here it's warm. Here the daisies guard you from every harm. Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true." _ _I felt a strange lump form in throat, and I had to pause in order to remove it. I worked my larynx around it and found that it was the cables in my larynx. They had constricted from the sadness I was feeling in my spark. That was...unusual._ _"...Here is the place where I love you..."_

'_Ray's optics dimmed a little, and my spark flipped. But I forced my smile onto my lips once again, and stroked his thin armor that still shone like gold. "...Deep in the meadow, hidden far away. A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray. Forget your woes and let your troubles lay. And when again its morning, they'll wash away..."_

_I hugged Goldray closer to me and leaned down to kiss his forehead. It would probably be the last time I'd be able to kiss him while he would still be able to feel it. "...Here it's safe, and here it's warm. Here the daisies guard you from every harm. Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true. Here is the place where I love you..." I looked down at him again and stared straight into his optics. His optics were so dim, showing that he was almost gone. I shifted him slightly in my arms, and held him as close as I could would with my small frame._

_I smiled at him bravely. "That's it Goldray, just close your eyes. Let sleep come, hon. I...I have to admit that I would like you to stay wakey wakey, but Primus wants you to go nighty night," I said to him softly._

_Goldray looked up at me, and I saw a faint glimmer of hope in his dull, lifeless optics. "Primus wants me to go night night?"_

_I nodded as my spark seemed to go cold._

"_Why?"_

_My smile wanted to fade, but I forced it to stay on my faceplates. "Because, sweetspark, you've served your purpose. He's calling you home. He wants you to see your carrier and your sire."_

_Goldray giggled weakly. "My carrier and sire..."_

"_Say hi to them for me, alright?" I told him and kissed him on the forehead again. But as I did, I heard him whisper "nighty night" before I felt him go limp. I leaned back and looked down at him, and say his lifeless optics. And that's when the torrent of tears came. I felt my body jolt with every sob._

_The last thing I knew before I passed out was Ratchet's hand on my back._

* * *

I started awake, and felt cold sweat on my forehead. I looked around wildly, Goldray's name on the tip of my tongue. But when I saw I was in my room, in my bed, I calmed down. But I was troubled. In the dream, I had a closer bond with Goldray than I had with my real-life brother, Drew. And Goldray had died so suddenly that I barely had a chance to comfort him and say goodbye. But it seemed so real...

But it had been a dream. That's all it had been. Because I had sung the lullaby Katniss Everdeen sung to Prim and Rue in _The Hunger Games_ movie, and I had not made that up and I did not own it. Either that, or I had accidentally created a lullaby that was used both in _The Hunger Games _trilogy and the movie.

But I wasn't Cybertronian. I couldn't be. I had been born human, and I had always been human. So why was I dreaming these dreams? I had never had such vivid dreams before. When did they start? I thought about it as I turned over and switched on my bedside lamp. I looked down at Jazz as his phone form shifted slightly in his recharge. Yes, I had to have been always human. God made me to be the _human_ to find Jazz and the AllSpark shard. I was _meant_ to be Mirage's charge.

Suddenly, the words _AllSpark_ and _shard_ bounced around my head a few times. It had zapped me, hadn't it, when I had held it after I had discovered it. It had zapped me, but instead of downloading a ton of information into my cranium, it had caused me to have these weird dreams. I didn't want to say that it had _cursed_ me, because the dreams were not all that frightening.

I sighed and scrunched up my face before shaking my head. I reached down and picked up my copy of _Transformers: Exodus_ and rolled onto my back. I opened it to the page I had bookmarked and began to read. But I was only halfway through the thirtieth chapter when I felt someone nudge my elbow. At that, I rested the book on my chest and looked down. Jazz stood by my elbow and looked up at me through his visor. "Ya a'right?" he asked.

I nodded slowly. "I just had a strange dream, that's all. I just wanna read it off for a little bit before I go back to sleep," I explained.

"A dream? Or a nightmare? C'mon, talk to meh. What was it about?" Jazz put on a winning smile.

But I only shook my head. "It was a sad dream, but I don't want to talk about it. I'm fine, really. I've had a lot of sad dreams. I'll talk to you about it when I feel like it."

* * *

The next morning, I woke up feeling stiff and very tired. I must have had a bad sleep after that talk I had with Jazz. His had seemed to bounce around in my head while I had slept. _A dream? Or a nightmare?_ I had actually dreamt that those words had bumped into each other before spinning away. _C'mon, talk to meh._

I rose from my bed and proceeded to get ready for the day. After my shower, I pulled on green t-shirt that was a few sizes too big for me as a shiver traveled up and down my spine. Something was going to happen today, and I didn't like it. Was I going to run into the Decepticons? Or was Mirage's 'something to do' going to be bigger than I could handle? I shook my head as I walked from the bathroom and headed outside. I wasn't going to be afraid, I was going to face whatever life threw at me. If life threw me lemons, I was going to shock it by making hot chocolate out of the lemons before I threw the scalding liquid right back at it.

Jazz met me as I walked past the garage. He crawled up my leg, up my side, and then up onto my shoulder. I walked towards Mirage's Barn (as I had come to call the abandoned barn) and smiled when I saw the aristocratic mech sitting out in front of the barn. He looked over at me and smiled a small smile as I approached. When I was close enough, Mirage leaned down and held out a large package to me. "Que set it to me via helicopter," he said in his wonderful Italian accent.

"Great!" I said, my smile nearly splitting my face in half. I took the package in both hands, before setting it down on the ground. I mentally guessed how heavy the package and guessed fifty to sixty pounds. I quickly unwrapped it, and was surprised when I saw the package contained what looked like a giant computer processor.

I sat there in shock before looking up at Mirage with askance in my eyes. "Um…they gave me a processor? Am I…supposed to do something with it…or am I supposed to guard it?"

"Optimus Prime wants you to work on it. It is no ordinary processor for one of your primitive computers. It is the processor—the _mind_ of a Cybertronian. We don't know whose, because scouts found it during one of their missions," Mirage replied. "Optimus would like you to find out who it belongs to."

I looked down at the processor with wide eyes. "Whoa…"

After that, I quickly took the processor and hid it in my room. My parents didn't go up into my room very often, but that did not stop me from hiding it well. I shoved it deep under my bed, and then covered it with a blanket. But then I decided I would pull it out and see if I could figure out who it belonged to. I placed it on my desk, and turned on the lamps before grabbing a magnifying glass. I began scanning the processor through the magnifying glass, taking it all the ridges, dips, pits, and other attributes the processor had. But nothing jumped out at me. I didn't know how I was supposed to get information off of it.

I sat back in my desk chair with an exasperated sigh. I let the magnifying glass slip from my fingers and clatter down onto the rug. Jazz climbed onto the desk and stood next to the processor. He rested a servo on the top of the processor and fell into a thoughtful silence. I watched him for a few minutes before asked, "Jazz…do you have any idea who this processor belongs to?" as I waited for a response, I mused, _I don't see why it's so important. If the owner of the processor has lost it, he shouldn't be online. Without his processor, he would be basically brain dead. But…if important information is contained on it, I do see its importance._

Jazz eventually came out of his thoughts and looked up at me. His visor flashed once before he answered. "Ah'm not sure…'cause Ah haven' been a'ound fo' the last five-ish years," he said. He then gave me a cute smile. "But Ah believe Ah can find out…" he added before the digits on his right servo extended into long, thin wires that made me shiver and back away from him slowly.

"A-are you s-sure, Jazz? I-I-It might o-o-overload on y-you!" I stuttered.

Jazz looked up from the processor in order to give me a comforting smile. "Aw, don't worry about meh, Twistette," he said comfortingly. "Nothin' could hurt thuh Jazz-man!" I rolled my eyes at the exaggerated "the" ("thuh").

"Y-yeah, whatever you say, oh all-powerful iPhone! Just you explain to my parents why my cell phone decided to die on me!" _If you do overload,_ I added mentally.

All I got from Jazz was a chuckle.

With shivers traveling up and down my spine I watched as Jazz's wire-fingers probed the surface of the processor before suddenly diving into it without a sound. I looked at Jazz as he worked and watched as a thoughtful look appeared on his faceplates. "Hmm…" he murmured before he suddenly gasped

"Jazz?" I asked hesitantly.

There was loud _snap!_ and Jazz flew back. I caught him as he flew off the edge of the desk. "Jazz?" I asked again, but got no response. "Jazz!" With panic racing through my nervous system and my heart, I watched as Jazz's visor went dark. "JAZZ!"

I watched in helplessness and fear as Jazz slowly curled up into his iPhone form and went absolutely still. Tears gathered in my eyes before spilling over. They ran down my cheeks before dropping down onto Jazz's screen. "Jazz…?" I whispered. When I got no response, I got up and ran to the back window. I had closed it when I had come up into my room because of the threat of rainshower, but now I threw it open and stuck my head and shoulders out. "Mirage?" I called. "MIRAGE!"

I felt panic coursing through me as I waited for my red Italian, Autobot spy guardian. I quickly looked around to see if any of my family members were around before I suddenly felt a small, forceful breeze buffeted me. I looked up in time to see Mirage materialize in front of me.

"What is it, Twister?" he asked.

Tears continued to pour down my cheeks. "It's Jazz. The processor did something to him!"

* * *

**So here's the next chapter! Told you it was long!**

**I'm excited, since I'll be watching the Transformers movie on Canada's Sciense Fiction channel: Space! I absolutely love that movie!**


	10. The Jig is Up

**So here's the next chapter. I hope you like it, because it is slower, I think, than the last chapter. **_**But**_** it takes a large step in the progress of this fic :)**

* * *

**Chapter Ten: The Jig is Up**

Mirage quickly rushed back to his barn and transformed before appearing in my room as his holoform. He rushed over to stand behind me and lean over my shoulder as I hastily connected to NEST. I cradled Jazz in one hand as my right hand flew over the keys. The communication window quickly popped up and I had to wait the five minutes before my "call" was answered.

It was Glen again, and he looked shocked to see me…_again_. "Hey, Glen, pleasegetmeRatchet," I said quickly before Glen could even open his mouth. "JazzishurtandIdon'tknowwhattodo!"

Glen ended up just looking confused. But he must have realized that I needed the grumpy green metallic medic, because he quickly disappeared. Mirage and I waited patiently as I tried to calm my frazzled state. I was panicking worse than Red Alert would when the Decepticons were attacking. I tended to have panicking problems.

Suddenly, the view changed to that of a view-screen of Ratchet's face. I was taken aback for a second before I finally managed to calm myself down and acknowledge him with a nod. I didn't quite trust my voice yet.

"What is the problem?" Ratchet asked me in his deep voice that was seeped with medical knowledge. It almost reminded me of a professor—an old one. But all that slipped my mind when I went to answer him.

"It's Jazz," I said, forcing myself to talk slowly in order to keep myself from imitating Blurr. "He…I was studying the processor NEST sent me, and I couldn't find anything that would be able to tell me who it belonged to. So Jazz offered to probe it for me. I…I tried to stop him, but he was persistent… So he probed it and it…zapped him somehow. I…I think he's unconscious at the moment…"

Ratchet emitted a few whirrs and clicks before replying. "I recommend that you purge his systems with an energy source different from the energy that could have sent him into a stasis lock. He's a cell phone, so you should plug a recharge cord into him before plugging it into the wall. It should purge his systems. Once he's got electricity flowing through him—the main power source his body runs on, he should reboot shortly."

I nodded. "Thanks, Ratchet."

There was a short silence before Ratchet said, "I really must return to my work…"

I nodded again before quickly cutting the connection. I sighed and got up from my seat slowly before I walked across to my back window, ignoring Mirage. I sensed him standing behind me as I looked down at Jazz and mulled over what Ratchet had told me. I drifted over to where my iPhone wall plugin was, and picked it up. I plugged it into Jazz before plugging it into the wall. And after that…I sat on my bed and simply watched him. I was quiet as I watched him, hoping that he would suddenly power up and be alright.

* * *

Hours later, when Jazz's dormant alt-form told me that he was fully charged with electricity, I unplugged him. Mirage had long since disappeared and was probably in recharge back in his barn. And I just sat alone, watching over my 'phone'.

This was turning out to be one of the calmest days I had had for a while. Mirage was acting more sullen and anti-social than he ever had since becoming my guardian, and I felt like I was moping. That was why I didn't dare go into the house after I had come back from lunch. I had retreated into my room with a stash of Mars chocolate bars, some chocolate milk, a bottle of water, and some of those pepperoni and cheese packages you usually get from 7-Eleven. Those were being kept cool by the milk and the water.

And the clouds overhead finally decided to dump their load, and it began to rain. But no thunder and lightning decided to accompany it this time, to my relief.

The rain didn't help with my mood and I slowly felt myself slipping into some kind of depression.

Eventually, I began to feel restless, so I slid Jazz into my pocket and stuffed my backpack with my computer and the food. I pulled on my black hoodie and left my room and garage. I walked through the yard before I dashed into the trees.

The feeling of the rain hitting my face and how the cold air flew past me was exhilarating. It lifted my mood until I was grinning, even though rain droplets were covering the lenses of my reading glasses, making it hard to see. I started to look on the bright side of this day, recalling the words of dream-me's carrier. Jazz would be alright. It just took time to purge systems.

But then…my day decided to take a nose dive once again.

"MIKAELA. ASHLEY. CODY!"

At the sound of my father's bellow, my heart decided that the safest place it could be at this moment was in my toes. I screeched to a halt and looked in the direction of Mirage's Barn. My eyes widened when I realized what had happened:

Dad had finally gone to explore the abandoned barn and had not bothered to tell me about it. He had gone inside and had seen Mirage. And of course, Mirage couldn't transform to explain to him what was going on because he was under strict orders from Optimus to _not_ transform in front of anyone but me unless there was a Decepticon threatening humanity.

Scared out of my wits and compelled to obey my father's call from growing up in a household that told me to, I ran towards the barn full tilt. But what scared me more than my father's wrath was that I was going to try and explain why there was a Ferrari in the barn. He was probably not going to believe me, and it would probably make him even angrier at me. He was probably not going to act like Jack Darby's mother and say that I was just taking care of one of my friends' _Ferrari_.

The jig was up, and I had nowhere to run.

And I felt more scared _right now_ then I had been when Barricade had been about to kill me.

When I arrived at the barn, the doors were wide open and Dad was standing in front of the barn with his arms crossed and a ferocious frown on his face. I could clearly see it from underneath his moustache. I shrunk back in fear, knowing his words were going to be as harsh as whips once he started talking.

"Mikaela, why is there a Ferrari—_a brand new Ferrari_—in the barn?" he asked in a deadly quiet voice.

All I could was look at him with wide fearful hazel eyes as he glowered down at me. My voice had disappeared and I could not find it.

"Is that what you've been doing in town? Did you steal this from someone and hid it here? What did you hope to accomplish?"

I looked pleadingly behind my father and at Mirage. He was my guardian. I needed him to protect me at this moment. But all Mirage did was roll silently a few feet out of the barn to stop a few feet behind my father.

"Young lady," my father growled, bringing my attention back to him. "Grand Theft Auto is one of the many crimes that can land you in jail. Do you want that? Do you want to be locked up in juvenile detention?"

I quickly shook my head as a small, quiet, and timid "no" almost wheezed out of me.

"Then what are you going to do?"

My mind blanked and no answer came to my mind. All that came out was a terrified squeak.

"Take it back and hope the owners don't press charges, right?"

I managed to nod my head once.

But then the sound of sirens came to my ears and I turned to look at my father. I looked at his face and saw the grim look on his face and that there was no shock on it. He grabbed my upper arm before I could even think about running away and held me firmly so I couldn't get away. I let out a scream of frustration and became asking him why he had been talking about returning the Ferrari and how he hoped the owners wouldn't "press charges" when he went and called the police anyway. My fear had melted into anger as I tried to escape his grip. "No! You cannot take me! I'm innocent!" I cried.

But my words fell on deaf ears as I was pulled out onto the driveway and I was forced to watch as a familiar black and white cruiser came rolling down the driveway.

I had known my mother and father to be right and just. When teenagers were playing paintball in the middle of the night when we still lived in town, dad had gotten up and called the police. But I never thought they would call the police on their own daughter. They were jumping to conclusions. How did they even link the Ferrari to me? How did they not guess that some other teenager had hidden it in the barn?

I couldn't help but start crying as the cruiser pulled up. But then I began to scream as my eyes landed on the all too familiar "To Punish and Enslave" motto. I screamed as Barricade's holoform "Officer Barry Cade" stepped out of Barricade and walked around his alt-form and towards me. I thrashed around as Barricade snapped cuffs around my wrists, and screamed my guardian's name.

Through my tears and my cries that were growing steadily weaker and weaker, I heard my father tell Barricade that he would meet us at the police station. Then Barricade shoved me roughly into the back seat. He shut the door in my face then, and at that moment, I felt truly like a criminal, even though I was sitting in a Decepticon that would likely kill me as soon as we were out of sight of the farm.

After a few more words, the holoform got back into Barricade, and without even a glance back at me, he peeled quickly away from my house.

With no seat belts in the back seat, I turned and looked out of the back window even as Frenzy popped out of Barricade's glove compartment. I listened as Frenzy climbed into the back seat, but I was startled when the Minicon embraced my arm. I looked down at him with a shocked expression and he looked up at me with an innocent look in his four optics. And that seriously freaked me out. "T-Twisterstrike…" he stuttered softly.

I tensed up at that, forcing myself not to scream. "I-I'm sorry, I believe you've mistaken me for someone else," I hissed.

Frenzy narrowed his eyes. "N-n-no…_you_ T-Twisterstrike. _You _have her energy signature!"

His answer threw me for a loop and I ended up just gazing out the window with Frenzy clinging to my arm, for once actually being tender and not out to destroy something or someone.

* * *

Barricade turned on his sirens as soon as he was back on the highway. He didn't even go into Oilfield. He must have known that Bumblebee would have come after him as soon as he saw me in Barricade's back seat. The speed that Barricade decided to go at was pretty fast, and it caused the scenery that I could view through his side windows to blur.

But I still didn't move. With Frenzy clinging to my arm, and Jazz still locked in stasis in my pocket, I had a lot to think over. Frenzy had called me Twisterstrike, and that had caused me to think over my theory of the dreams the AllSpark shard were giving me.

Suddenly, my thoughts were shattered when a familiar red Ferrari appeared on the highway behind Barricade. And then behind the Ferrari, I saw a familiar yellow and black striped Camaro. I grinned, but then Barricade cursed and increased his speed. "Cursed Autobots," he growled.

"Mirage knew you took me, Barricade. He's my guardian, and he'll do anything to save me," I said to the dashboard of the cruiser.

"Shut up, fleshling," the Decepticon growled. "I could kill you right here and right now." He sighed. "But Megatron wants you alive, so I cannot do that."

I hissed as he swerved sharply to avoid a missile from Bumblebee. I looked up as I saw him in his stealth-force mode. Barricade swerved again, and I was thrown against the hard plastic seat. I banged my head, and for a second I saw stars. But I managed to recuperate fast enough in order to keep myself from being thrown again as Barricade continued to dodge.

And then Frenzy let go of my arm and scuttled back into Barricade's glove compartment before I was thrown out of the bad cop. I rolled away from the highway and down a short slope.

I lay there, listening as I heard Mirage and Bumblebee transform. I listened to their fighting before I was able to muster up enough strength in order to get to my feet. I then watched, like an idiot, as Mirage and Bumblebee managed to fight Barricade off. Barricade growled at the two Autobots before he turned, transformed, and drove off.

I looked up at the two Autobots as they looked down at me with their blue optics. I took a deep breath as I suddenly felt myself at the brink of tears. "I…believe…that I should be taken to the…NEST base now…I can't go back."


	11. The Jazzman is Back

**Yeah, so I thank you all for reading this. When I come home from working on the farm, or after a stressful day of summer school, and I see my inbox filled with reviews and favourites, my spirits rise :)**

**Okay, so I forgot to do last chapters thank yous so I'll do it here. Thank you** _Autobot Echo, Camigirl215, Guest (#1), XxLosAngelesGirlxX, Guest (#2), Guest (#3), _**and**_ my feathered scales_ **for reviewing chapter 9! I was rushed last chapter, so I forgot to write it down. And as for the three Guests I got, I wrote them in the order they came in.**

**And for chapter 10, thank you** _Guest, XxLosAngelesGirlxX, Kaitlyn Thorn, AliceSylvia, _**and**_ mineturtle_** for reviewing!**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: The Jazzman is Back**

The trip down to NEST's base was long and debilitating. After the first five hours of driving, I became bored out of my mind and I sat there staring out into space listlessly. Mirage and I talked a bit, but we quickly ran out of things to talk about. I tried starting a game of I-Spy, but that quickly grew annoying when I realized that Mirage wasn't interested. He tried curing my boredom after I had an emotional breakdown by teaching me Italian words. My bored brain ended up soaking it up, and I ended up learning phrases like: _"Sì, capisco,"_ ('Yes, I understand.'); _"Un cavallo," _('A horse'); and many other words that, if I could remember, I would be able to string some kind of sentence together.

Bumblebee drove behind us the entire time, and we didn't run into a single Decepticon. I was glad.

I ended up falling asleep three or four times during the trip. Thankfully, I never had a single one of those strange dreams. That allowed me to be awake and aware when we drove up to the base.

Bumblebee transformed into his bipedal mode as I stepped out of Mirage. Once I was out, he transformed as well. But then I remembered Jazz. I had worried about him the whole time we had been travelling to get here. I took him from my pocket, and looked down at him sadly before I dashed forward. I surprised Lennox, who had come out to talk to us, as I ran by him and disappeared inside the base.

I ran down a few hallways, and nearly got run over by Sideswipe as he ran from his brother, Sunstreaker. I looked back at the goldenrod Autobot and saw that he was spattered with pink paint. _Sideswipe must have pranked him,_ I thought as I went back to running. I had to find the med-bay. The charge cord and the electricity had done nothing to change Jazz's state.

I had to slow myself down. Panic was rising up as I thought more and more about Jazz and why he wasn't waking up. _Stay calm, stay calm, think about Sunstreaker and the colour pink, stay calm,_ I told myself slowly as my feet started moving once again and unconsciously, they started leading me towards Ratchet's domain. I was in some sort of haze, I could feel people grabbing at me, but they never succeeded in taking a hold of me. I just kept walking and walking, and when I finally broke out of the haze, I found myself in front of the human-sized door that lead into the med-bay. I blinked a few times before I gripped the door-handle and opened the door.

I stepped into the med-bay and looked over at a giant-sized desk, and spotted Ratchet sitting behind it. I slowly crept over to one of the berths, and began to climb the ladder propped up against it. I was halfway up when I heard the large metal chair Ratchet was sitting on move. I froze and held my breath.

After a few seconds of silence, I continued climbing and climbed onto the berth…

…and found Ratchet staring down at me.

I stopped and looked up at him before I held out Jazz. Ratchet surprised me by suddenly transforming down into his hummer/ambulance form, before a man appeared on the berth in front of me. I blinked and looked at the man. He was at least six foot five—the same height as Mirage's holoform—and he had greying brown hair, glowing blue eyes, and was dressed in black dress pants, black loafers, a mint green polo shirt, and a white lab coat that he wore open. Over his eyes, he wore a pair of sharp looking glasses. I blinked again from behind my pair of reading glasses. "Uh…Ratchet…?" I asked slowly.

He nodded. "You are correct," he said. "You are very sharp. Some of the soldiers shouted at me when I activated this form in front of them for the first time. Now, let me look at Jazz."

I complied and handed him the iPhone-transformer. I watched him examine my friend by turning him around, upside down, and by looking along the edges. I looked up at his face when he froze, and saw the look of dread that now rested on it. I froze, before I asked shakily, "What's wrong…Ratchet…?" I shuttered. "_Please tell me he's going to be alright…"_ I whispered.

He looked over at me, his eyes taking on a distant look. Quickly, he shoved Jazz back into my hands and disappeared. His hummer form quickly transformed up into his bipedal form, and he looked down at me. "Twister, I've repaired Jazz's original frame enough that if he's revived, he'd be able to walk around but would need healing time. The reason he isn't coming out of stasis lock is…" he closed his optics for a second "…because the energy fried his circuits… He's dying." He turned and quickly began to walk from the med-bay. But then he turned back to me. "I'll get Ironhide to bring Jazz's frame in. Pray that his spark will transfer to his original body." And with that, he left.

My heart seemed like it had turned to ice. I looked down at Jazz as I sank to my knees. _He was dying…?_ "Jazz…don't die on me…please, don't die on me." I slowly maneuvered myself that I was sitting cross-legged with Jazz resting up against my heart. I had read in FanFictions that carriers often comforted their sparklings by holding them against their chest-plates while allowing them to listen to their sparks. I had a heart, not a spark, but I was going to allow him to listen to it. I wanted him to listen to it. Or at least feel it.

Ironhide came in holding Jazz's original form and I moved in order to allow him to set it down on the berth I was on. I suddenly found myself standing beside the still form of a metal giant. I slowly climbed up onto Jazz's chest and stood up on it. I looked up at Ironhide and Ratchet, and said, "What now?"

"Twister…I need you to open up his chest plates after I open up his original form's chest plates, alright?" Ratchet ordered. I nodded, but there was still one question I had to ask. But Ratchet beat me to it. "Twister, it's simple," and he showed me.

Ratchet opened Jazz's original chest plates and with a nod towards me, I clumsily opened iPhone-Jazz's chest plates. Then, Ratchet gestured for me to lay Jazz spark-chamber down in Original-Jazz's spark-chamber. I did and withdrew my hand quickly. Sparks were known to be made of pure energy. Who knew what it would do to me if I touched one.

And I sat there waiting to see what would happen. One minute went by…then two… my heart seemed to cease beating. "No…no…Jazz! No…wake up, Jazz!" I cried. I reached back into the spark-chamber and touched him with my pinkie while stroking the inside of the spark-chamber.

Suddenly, I was shocked, and I pulled my hand back sharply in response. I looked down as the iPhone began to glow a bright blue. The iPhone then cracked sharply and shattered, allowing me to see as a large ball of mesmerizing blue light. I got to my feet and took a few steps back as Jazz's chest plates closed by themselves with a sharp _hiss_. I held my breath, my heart now pounding loudly. My eyes were glued to the silver bot as his form suddenly shifted and I scrambled and backpedaled in order to keep my balance.

Jazz's optics onlined, and he arched his back quite suddenly. The sudden movement caused me to go flying from him, and I screamed. But thankfully, Ratchet managed to catch me before I crashed into anything and got hurt.

As I steadied myself in Ratchet's servo, Jazz's helm turned towards me and the Autobot medic. I stared at the once-dead Autobot on the table, and was surprised when a small smile appeared on his lips and his visor slid down over his optics.

Jazz then tried to sit up, but Ratchet quickly walked over and gently pushed him back down into a laying position. "You'll have to rest for a few more days until I see you are ready to move," Ratchet said before he turned and carried me out of the med-bay.

I was placed on my feet outside the med-bay in front of an annoyed looking Lennox and a severely ticked off Mirage. Bumblebee was standing off to the side, and I shot him a look that clearly said "help me". He only provided me with a shrug and an apologetic shake of his head.

I mentally groaned as Ratchet disappeared back into the med-bay and I was left—literally—to the sharks.

Lennox walked up to me and frowned down at me, making my five foot seven feel shorter than in did when the bots were in their holoforms near me. "Young lady, why did you run off like that? You haven't been debriefed or allowed access onto the base yet," he said, his voice taking on a tone of authority.

I looked down, ashamed, the way I had been raised scolding me for not listening to my superiors like another voice in the back of my mind.

Thankfully, his question was answered when Jazz's voice boomed from within the med-bay. "Where's Twister?" Jazz asked.

"Calm down, you delinquent sparkling! You're not going anywhere until you have rested!" came Ratchet's reply.

I slowly looked up into Lennox's eyes without fully raising my head, and saw that he realized what I had done.

"Jazz was hurt?" he asked.

I nodded.

"How badly?"

"To the point of almost dying."

"So he's fixed?" he asked.

"Yeah, but much better than he was originally."

This seemed to confuse him. "What the heck does that mean?"

I gestured to the med-bay doors by jerking my head towards them. "Why don't you see so yourself?"

Lennox looked at me before he turned to the soldier that appeared behind him. "Epps, take her to her civilian quarters. We'll debrief her later," he said before he turned again and disappeared into the med-bay.

I lifted my head completely and smiled at Epps as he came over and shook my hand. We introduced ourselves before Epps began to lead me away. But before we were out of earshot, I heard Lennox yell, "GREAT PRIMUS! JAZZ IS A GIANT ROBOT AGAIN!"


	12. The Lennoxes

**Here's the next chapter.**

**Thank you **_XxLosAngelesGirlxX, MissShelz, KnockOut'sFanGirl221, Minimus Prime, SSxSisters, Kaitlyn Thorne, _**and**_ AliceSylvia_** for reviewing!**

**Chapter Twelve: The Lennoxes**

After Lennox had managed to get over the initial shock of seeing Jazz back to being fifteen feet tall again, he had come after me, and tried to help me and Epps find my quarters. But when we came to the quarters he assigned me, we found out that the toilet in those particular quarters had backed up and all citizen quarters were at risk of mimicking the foul accident. So Lennox had offered to allow me to stay at his home for the time being. I had accepted after a lot of convincing on his part.

Lennox quickly lead me to a military Jeep, and I got into the passenger seat. When the Major got into the driver's seat, I looked at him and asked, "Sir, why aren't we taking Ironhide?"

Major Lennox looked at me and grinned. "Ironhide has to stay on base. Optimus needs him just in case they have to go on patrol. They've been searching for Sam for a long time, and they're not about to give up," he replied.

I nodded in understanding. "I understand," I said. "To tell you the truth, I was kinda afraid of going to sit his cab…" this earned a chuckle from the high-ranked officer sitting next to me. "He was…really imposing…when the Autobots came to retrieve the AllSpark fragment from me. I had been standing several meters from him, and he had still managed to scare me to some extent—even though I wouldn't tell him that. The time of night didn't help it either."

"Now why would you be scared of big ol' Ironhide?" Lennox asked as he finally backed the Jeep out from its parking space. "Everyone knows that he's just a great big teddy-bear on the inside."

As Lennox drove off of the base, I grinned. "Well, for one thing: To anyone, I guess, who is not familiar with him, he could be as unpredictable as a poorly trained horse. If we were driving along and he saw a fight, he'd be like: 'There's a fight!' and drive to it, like a horse sees food and goes 'FOOD!' before galloping towards it."

That had Lennox laughing, and I was worried about his focus on the road. When he calmed down, we were still alive and still on the road. I looked at Lennox as he tried to keep the grin off of his face, and I really had to wonder about what I had said to make him laugh. "S-sorry," he said. "It's just…your view on my guardian is hilarious." He snorted as he finally got control of his emotions. But there was still a small smirk of his lips.

We fell into a comfortable silence as I looked to my right. There were no doors and there was no top on this Jeep, so I was looking straight out into the Nevada desert. It wasn't much of desert, but it had a lot of sagebrush, and the occasional cactus. I knew not all of Nevada was a desert, that there was some grassland and mountains, but the NEST base had to be in the middle of the desert. Really stupid, since the world now knew about the Autobots (except for Canada, apparently). But I did see the logic of the location. No one wanted to live in the middle of a desert, so there were not going to be any civilians nearby.

"So how did you and Mirage get along when you were still at home?" Lennox asked me suddenly, bringing me from my thoughts.

I hummed and looked over at him. "We did fine. He was…nice…" I really didn't have much to say on the subject.

Lennox was silent for a few seconds, and then he asked, "Mikaela, what caused you to have to come down here?" The question barely registered as I wondered why he had called by my first name. Of course, he was my superior, and he was allowed to call me whatever name he wanted to call me.

But then I thought about the question he had asked and my heart sunk. It took me several minutes before I was able to reply. "I came down here…because…my dad found Mirage." Lennox glanced at me with an alarmed look on his face. But I continued. "Mirage was staying in an abandoned barn at the back of the property that I lived on. I thought Dad would never look there, because before we even moved onto the property, he told me that we were not even going to bother with that barn. Well, one day, after I was going to stay out at the barn for a few hours with Mirage in order to keep him company while we waiting to see if Jazz would come out of stasis lock, I heard my father call my name. He sounded angry, and when I followed his voice, I saw he had found Mirage." I blinked back a few tears. That incident had hurt me badly. "Mirage couldn't help me, of course, because Optimus had ordered him not to transform in front of anyone but me. Dad gave me a serious talk about how I had performed Grand Theft Auto. Since he thought Mirage was a non-sentient Ferrari, he wanted me to return him to his 'owners'. But then I heard sirens, and I knew he had called the police before I had reached him." I sighed, trying to remove the lump that had formed in my throat. I didn't want to relive this!

"He tricked me. I love my parents, I really do," I continued. "But when Dad grabbed my arm and dragged me to the driveway, I just lost my trust with him. With both of my parents—_my family_." Tears began to run down my cheeks. "And that's not all: the police cruiser that appeared to pick me up was _Barricade_." my voice cracked.

I heard Lennox inhale sharply. He quickly pulled off to the side of the road and put the Jeep in park. I suddenly found myself in a hug. In any other situation, I would have pulled away and said that there was no hugging until I knew him better, but it was like I had known William Lennox all my life, so I let him hug me. It was comforting; especially after all I had been through.

When he let me go, he straightened and made sure his uniform was on straight, even though his shoulder was stained by my tears. "_Barricade_?" he whispered in horror. I just hung my head and looked down at where my hands were resting on my lap. I felt him put the Jeep back into drive, and I felt him pull back onto the road.

The rest of the drive was silent. Lennox was probably mulling things over. My mind was blank, on the other hand, as I stared out into the desert as it transformed into grassland. I didn't have the heart to say anything else.

When Lennox stopped the Jeep in front of the Lennox ranch home, I sat there looking up at house, gawking.

The house was bigger than any house I had ever lived in. It was a log house, and was decorated to fit the Western style. There was a wooden porch-swing on the front porch that matched the house, and all the windows I could see had unpainted, varnished wooden shutters. The windows themselves were gorgeous. They had several panes of glass in them, all held together by wooden mutton bars. Under each of the windows that opened out onto the porch, there was a rustic wagon wheel secured under it. I loved it.

I slowly unbuckled my seatbelt and got out of the Jeep. I walked slowly towards the house, not quite believing I was going to be staying here. I had come down to Nevada to escape a false charge and to help NEST find Sam. I had prepared myself to stay in cramped citizen quarters. But instead, I got to stay in a luxurious home.

Lennox, who was ahead of me, climbed the stairs onto the porch, and opened the door for me. I thanked him quietly before I stepped inside and went to the side of the door in order to take off my converse. Once they were off, I set them off to the side and out of the way before waiting for Lennox to take off his combat boots. When he had them off, he lead me through the open and spacious entrance room and to the right, into the kitchen and the dining room. I took in the black marble countertops in awe.

"Sarah, this is Mikaela Cody," Lennox introduced, causing me to look up and at the kind face of middle aged woman. "She's come to stay with us because…um…the citizen barracks had a problem with their toilets."

Sarah Lennox walked up to me with a smile on her face. "Well, hello, Mikaela," she said. "It's a pleasure to meet you." We shook hands.

"Same here, Mrs. Lennox," I said with a small smile.

I suddenly felt someone tap me on the shoulder and I turned to see Lennox. "You can call me Will, and you can call her Sarah while we're at home, alright? There's no need to be formal," he said lightly before he walked to the back of the house, probably to get changed.

I was left stunned, my eyes wide. I blinked. "But…" I shuttered. "But…it's not proper," I whimpered, suddenly remembering the story my father told me about how his parents gave him a few lashes with a belt for calling his parents friends by their first names. I turned to look at Mrs. Lennox. "The…only person I called by their first name was my boss from my job at the Farmers Market concession stand I used to work at."

Mrs. Lennox put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "We're not much for formality," she said. "You don't have to worry about it."

I nodded slowly. "Thanks, Mrs.—I mean—Sarah." I looked around. "So…"

"Would you like to see your room?" she asked.

I nodded again, but more quickly this time. "Yes, please."

Mrs. Lenn—Sarah led me up a flight of stairs once we walked out of the kitchen. We turned left and walked down a long hall. At the end, Sarah opened the door on the right and walked in. I looked around at the room and smiled slightly at the window seat. "This is one of our guest rooms," Sarah said. "Make yourself comfortable." She nodded towards the backpack on my back.

"Thanks," I said quietly before she left, closing the door behind her.

I walked slowly over to the bed, which had a soft green comforter on it. The green reminded me of the grass that had grown on my farm, and whimpered when I thought about my horse. What were my parents going to do with her? I sat down on the bed as the question bounced around in my head. I sat my periwinkle blue backpack on the floor by my feet and opened it. I pulled out my iPod Touch, since Jazz wasn't here to play a song for me, and chose the song "Give It Away" by Paul Brandt. As the song began to play quietly, I put the machine down on the side table next to the bed, and began to unpack the stuff I had put in the backpack before I had been "arrested".

Only a couple of the Mars bars and all of those cheese and pepperoni packages I had packed had been eaten on the way down. _Why didn't Dad take this from me?_ I asked myself before I continued to unpack. I put my laptop onto the small desk that sat next to the window, and then looked back into my bag. With a sad sigh, I realized I really hadn't brought much of anything with me. Most of what I owned was back at my home in north-western Alberta.

I got up and walked over to the window where I looked out onto the farm, and wondered if this event had changed my life for the better or for the worst.

XXX

_::Elita-1 to Twisterstrike, how are the sparklings?::_

_::They're doing good, ma'am. Skids and Mudflap have finally fallen asleep.::_

_::Good job,:: the commanding officer of the femme unit said, causing me to smile slightly. ::Report back to the training room. Chromia wants you to run through the obstacle course again in order to see if you're still in top shape.:: I also heard the unspoken 'because we know how much the loss of Goldray has affected your performance.'_

_I sighed. ::Yes, ma'am. I'll be there in a couple of klicks.:: I transformed my pedes into wheels, and I looked down at them. Ratchet had repaired them after Goldray's burial. I had taken that sparkling's death hard. I had grown close to him in the short time I had known him._

_Shaking my helm, I took off towards the training room. I swerved around the pedes of the mechs and femmes that happened to be in the halls as I zoomed through them. I came up on Bluestreak when I was almost to the training room, and found that he had tripped and fallen. He was a youngling now, and he was still getting used to his youngling frame. "Trip again, Streaker?" I chuckled as I jumped over him. When my wheels hit the metallic floor, I was off again, leaning close to the floor in order to make it around the corner and into the training room._

_Once I was inside, I straightened myself and spun around a few times for fun. But I straightened up and stood at attention once I caught sight of Chromia. "Reporting at training room, ma'am!"_

_The blue femme chuckled. "At ease," she said._

_I relaxed and smiled up at her as she gracefully balanced on her one wheel. "So you want me to run through the obstacle course again?" I bounced from one wheel to the other in anticipation. I enjoyed the obstacle course very much, and I anticipated it every time we had to train._

_Chromia nodded her helm. "Indeed. I need you to go through it as fast as you can. I'll be able to tell if something's on your mind," she said before I rolled up to the starting line._

_I lowered myself into a stance that would allow me to have a quick start, and waited for Chromia to give me the signal to start. She signaled me with a nod, and I pushed myself forward. _

_The obstacle course was built to test every aspect of a Cybertronian's physique. And I was going to run through and push myself._

_I shot forward into the first stage of the obstacle course. The first stage was a raised platform with twelve, thick rings positioned in two rows that allowed you to step from one to the other while progressing forward. I jumped up onto the platform while transforming my wheels back into pedes. I stepped quickly through these, blazing through this obstacle in a few seconds. And I was on to the second obstacle._

_I climbed up onto the metal wall that served as the second obstacle, and when I reached the other side, I jumped down before I ran to the second-last obstacle. It was a long narrow beam, which I walked down quickly, losing my balance only once. Then I headed into the maze that served as the last obstacle._

_I had pushed Goldray to the back of my mind, knowing that I couldn't do anything about his death, nothing at all. But it still made me sad._

_The maze never was the same twice. After a mech or femme traversed it, it changed. But my sense of direction was pretty good. I went left and right and straight and left again, and straight again. I was so turned around by the time I stumbled out of the maze, I was dizzy, and I was lost in my thoughts. I slowly walked out of the maze, my system dangerously hot from how I hard I had pushed myself. I looked up at Chromia before I slumped to the floor, and began to reroute my energy to my cooling fans._

_I looked up at the femme, before I closed my optics and went offline._

XXX

My eyes opened slowly and I looked around, finding myself in a strange room. I sat up and looked around the room in fear and worry. Where was I? Whose room was I in? I looked around hastily before I remembered.

I was in the Lennox household. Will and Sarah Lennox had taken me in. For what? Because of the toilet backing up in the citizens quarters? I don't know. But for some reason, I do feel welcome in this house, even though Will and Sarah are young parents.

I feel welcome here because I would never feel welcome back at my old home.

But what was that dream about?


	13. Mysteries Sometimes Cause Arguments

**60 REVIEWS?**_**!**_** OH. MY. PRIMUS! THANK YOU GUYS!**

**Thank you **_MissShelz, KnockOut'sFanGirl221, Autobot StarRacer, Kaitlyn Thorne, Naughtia, _**and**_ XxLosAngelesGirlxX_ **for reviewing! I love you guys!**

**Question: I'm thinking of writing a fic where a group of Autobots (Elita-1, Chromia, Red Alert, Jazz, etc.) come to Earth and crash land in central to North Western Alberta. This idea would be taking place in the _Transformers: Prime_ universe. I got this idea, because Team Prime is stuck down in the USA and can't handle all the 'Con activity (like they barely did in the season-ender of season 3). So what do you think? Is it a crappy idea, or a good one?**

**I'll let you think it over.**

**Here's the chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: Mysteries Sometimes Cause Arguments**

The next morning, I walked downstairs slowly. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, the smell of bacon sizzling hit my nose and my mouth instantly began to water. I smiled with glee as I stood there, taking in the wonderful smell. Back at home, my family really didn't get to eat a lot of fancy breakfasts. We honestly didn't have the money to do it, and my mother couldn't eat many fatty foods. The fat in the foods hurt her stomach.

I walked into the kitchen/dining room meekly. I glanced over at the table, and saw seven-year-old Annabelle sitting in her high-chair. I then looked over at Will and Sarah who were in the kitchen. I walked slowly over to the kitchen and looked in to see what they were doing. Sarah was just putting the bacon I had smelled onto a plate before she covered it up with a piece of paper towel. Will was just scooping some scrambled eggs into a large bowl. I looked around to see if I could do anything to help and saw that they even had set the table. I looked over at the two adults, and after a few seconds, I managed to clear my throat. "Uh…need any help?" I asked.

Will and Sarah looked at me and smiled. "You don't need to worry," Sarah said in a motherly tone. "Breakfast's done anyway. We're just waiting for the toast to pop." At that moment, the toaster that I could just see behind her announced that it was done toasting the toast and nearly launched it out of the two slots. Sarah chuckled before handing the bacon to me and going to get the toast. I took the bacon and set it on a hotplate in the middle of the table. Will came and set the eggs on another hotplate next to the bacon before sitting down at the head of the table.

I stood there, wondering where I would sit. I looked over at Annabelle, who at across the table from her father. She looked up at me with the clearest set of blue eyes I had seen in a while. Sarah came with the toast, and she set it down on the table before she sat down at the table to the right of Will. I took that as a cue and sat down across from her at the last available seat.

The first few moments of breakfast were quiet as we scooped food onto our plates. But once we started eating, the questions soon followed. They didn't ask me any questions the night before, while we were at dinner, and I wasn't quite sure why.

Will put his fork down and looked at me. "So…Mikaela…what are your interests? Do you have any friends from where you come from?" he asked.

I didn't look at him as I quickly swallowed the piece of bacon I had been chewing on. Then I glanced at him. "I have many interests, and I had a few friends back home. Among my interests, I like to ride horses…and I like to fence—you know, the sport?"

* * *

I climbed out of the Jeep and looked at the base with confusion. Lennox stopped at my elbow and chuckled. "Why _exactly_ am I here for? I saw that look in your eye, sir. Something's going on," I said. "Like, I _know_ I'm going to start working here somehow… but when—"

"Results came back for a scan Ratchet performed on you after he kept you from flying across the room. He—well, just let him explain," he said before he disappeared inside the base, leaving me standing there, staring at the door he disappeared into. With a sigh, I followed.

Inside the base, I kept close to the walls as I slowly made my way to the med bay. I passed Sideswipe, who was talking to my guardian as I passed the rec room. I took deep breaths when I caught soldiers looking at me out of the corner of my eye. _They're just curious,_ I told myself. I lengthened my strides and marched towards the med bay, while furrowing my brows and setting my jaw. My pink converse tapped against the concrete floor as the med bay doors came into sight. The tapping my converse made against the floor turned into thuds as I began to run towards the med bay. I wanted to know what the scans said about me. I had no idea that Ratchet had scanned me. Maybe the FanFictions I had read were wrong. Maybe one didn't feel the scans when a medic scanned you. Or maybe I was just insensitive.

I dashed through the human sized door, and when I reached a berth with a ladder leaning against it, I nearly flew up the ladder. On the berth, I stood there panting in order to catch my breath. When I had it, I sat down and crossed my legs. I looked around, wondering where Ratchet was.

"Ah see ya're still workin' properly," a familiar voice said.

My head snapped around so I could look at the source of the voice. A large smile appeared on my face when I saw Jazz lying on the berth standing a few meters away. "Hey, Jazz! How're you feeling?" I greeted.

"Ah'm in one piece," he stated. "Though, Ah would do anything ta just get up an' walk around."

"Which you will be able to do—tomorrow," Ratchet said in a flat voice as he entered the med bay. He turned to look at me. "Good morning, Twister," he greeted formally.

"Good morning to you too, sir," I said as he took out a datapad and walked over to me. "So, what's up with the scan?" I asked when he stopped in front of me. "Lennox said you wanted to talk to me about it."

Ratchet nodded and set the datapad down on the berth beside me. I got to my feet and looked down at the datapad screen. On the screen, there was a picture of me (fully clothed, thank goodness. I _know_ they have a good enough imagination that would allow them to draw me without clothing), and then there was a picture of my skeleton, my nervous system, and my veins. I looked at it, confused. I looked up at Ratchet for some kind of explanation. He caught my look and explained. "This is what you look like," he said, pointing to the picture of me. "And this is what your nervous system _should_ look like," he said, pointing at the picture of my nervous system/veins.

I blinked. "…_Should_…?" I said. "What do you mean, should?"

Ratchet tapped the screen and another picture popped up. My gut twisted with the shock I felt when I saw it. The picture was…glowing…

"This is what you look like on the inside," he said softly.

I couldn't breathe. "W-what is it?"

"It's AllSpark energy."

I still couldn't breathe. I blinked furiously as my eyes misted up. "I…I must have absorbed some of the energy from the AllSpark shard when it burned me back at home," I said slowly. "But instead of downloading information into my…head…it filled me with some of its energy…" I looked up at him again. "But…why…?"

"I have yet to figure out why it did that. But I have a theory," he said as the door to the med bay slid open and a blue and grey Einstein-like mech walked in. "It has chosen you for something."

"But what could it have chosen me for?" I asked, feeling distraught.

The Einstein-bot walked over to us, stopping to see how Jazz was doing on the way. Once he was standing beside Ratchet, I looked up at him and smiled. To my surprise, the new bot seemed to be wearing a pair of glasses. Ratchet turned to the new bot and said, "I was just explaining to Twister my theory of why she's full of AllSpark energy." He then turned to me. "Twister, this is Que."

I turned my attention from the medic to the inventor. I grinned. "…Hi…" Seriously, that's all I could think to say? Like, _this was Que_, a mech that used to be _Wheeljack_, who used to _blow things up_ and then laugh about it! Hastily, I worked to say something a little smarter. "Um…so…uh…yeah. It's nice to meet you, Que. What have you been working on lately?" I asked you, finally saving my dignity.

Que smiled, and was about to reply, but Ratchet cut him off. "Save the chit-chat for later, please," he huffed. I suddenly found myself under the scrutiny of both mechs. I looked up at the medic and then at the inventor, then down at my hands, waiting for one of them to speak. "We have to find out why Twister is chock-full of AllSpark radiation."

"And we have to figure out why it's not killing her," Que pointed out.

_Thanks, Que,_ I growled mentally. _How comforting!_

Ratchet gave him a pointed look before he continued. "It's almost like the AllSpark has a plan for her."

"From what I heard, she found the shard. Maybe it considered her as its carrier, and it's repaying her for returning it to the Autobots," Que suggested.

I watched as the medic and the inventor turned to face each other fully. Had they just shut me out of their conversation? I verbally growled this time, but they ignored me.

"Repay her for what? She was just a normal human before she found Jazz and the shard! Why would it pick her? Because her birth-name is the same as Miss Banes'?" Ratchet exclaimed.

Que chuckled. "If any of the 'Bots still believed in Primus, then we could say he has something in store for her," he said. Ratchet only rolled his optics. My heart fluttered with a feeling I couldn't name. Was it excitement because I might have a mega-role in the war or something? Or was it anxiety, because nobody truly knew what was going on. Why did everything have to be so…so…_infuriating_?

The blue and silver mech shook his head with a soft chuckle. "No clue," he said, his strange British/German accent thick.

I growled and rolled my eyes. This was going to be a _loooong_ 'checkup'.

* * *

Ratchet and Que were still going at it an hour later, so after quietly saying goodbye to Jazz, I snuck out of the med bay. I walked down the hall quietly, staying close to the wall like I had when I went to the med bay. My mind went blank after a few moments of constant walking. I continued to walk, and my ears picked up snippets of conversations between men, and conversations between men and 'Bots. But I didn't stop to listen to any of the conversations as I mindlessly ambled through the base.

But after an half an hour of doing this, I ended up running into an Autobot's pede. I blinked in surprise, returning to reality.

I looked up, my eyes widening as I took in the golden armour, the wheeled pede, the sharp angles…

Crap.

It's Sunstreaker.

* * *

**Not as long as I like, but whatever.**

**What's gonna happen? How bad will 'Streaker freak?**

**Background Voice: *echoing* The name's SUNstreaker…!**

**Yeah, whatever. And Twister is going to be doing some training… Sorry about not having much TwisterxMirage moments lately…but I kinda got carried away with Ratchet and Que/Wheeljack ^w^**

**And a note: I'm going to the city tomorrow, and then the day after tomorrow, I'm going to the lake (but I'll be able to bring my computer). I have no idea when the next chapter should be up…**


	14. How to Physically Feel Run Over

**Here's the next chapter my lovely readers.**

**Don't worry about the Transformers Prime story I asked your opinion about last chapter. I don't know when I'll put it up; but just to let you know, **_**A Cloak and Dagger**_** will be put on hold until this story is near to being done, or is done. I'm afraid that it might give away too much or make you roll your eyes :)**

**And there's some TwisterxMirage moments in this chapter!**

**Thank you **_XxLosAngelesGirlxX, MissShelz, KnockOut'sFanGirl, Kaitlyn Thorn, _**and**_ Naughtia_** for reviewing!**

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen: How to Physically Feel Run Over**

I blinked my hazel eyes up at the proud golden mech, my heart feeling like it was shrinking in fear.

Crap, crap, crap. I'm so dead. _I'm so dead._ Sunstreaker was a mech who was very meticulous about his finish. You dirty it, you're dead. Of course, he would kill you _after_ he had a hissy fit. At least you'd get to laugh your head off at his antics before you had to run for your life. But he was still scary.

I didn't move as he looked down at me with a glare that could have wilted flowers. His armor seemed to bristle in anger, and my eyes widened even more in response. I held my hands up slowly in surrender before I began to back up slowly. "S-sorry!" I exclaimed. Sunstreaker followed me, though, a terrifying look of anger on his faceplates. He wasn't going to let me go on this.

"Who are you?" he growled.

I tripped and landed on my butt. "T-Twister…" I scrambled back onto my feet and continued to back away from him. "…A-and I'm sorry I-I touched you. Seriously! I-I didn't see you there…!" _Nice, Twister, nice. How can you say you missed an Autobot who's as tall as your average hotel and has paint that practically glows?_ I asked myself. _Well, I wasn't really paying attention when I was walking. How can anyone expect me to when I'm thinking of the AllSpark energy inside of me?_

For my answer, I only got a growl that sent shivers down my spine. I guess that was my sign to start running like heck.

I whirled when I saw him reach for me, and I began to run down the hall away from him. I ran as fast as I could, but with a quick glance over my shoulder, I saw that he was right behind me. I had mini heart attack when I saw him reach for me again, but I managed to make myself lurch forward out of his reach, making him accidentally grab an innocent soldier. I continued to run, and when I reached a certain part of the hall, I was shocked when everyone took a glance at me, and then at Sunstreaker before clearing out of the hallway. I guess those guys were used to Sunstreaker's temper and knew when to get out of his way. Especially when he was angry with a human.

"What's your problem with humans, anyway?" I screamed at him before I ducked around a corner. "I didn't do anything to your paint, I swear!"

He followed. "You are small, and filthy, that's my problem," he said.

"Remember Autobot rule number one!" I cried, becoming short of breath. I was never really one for running long distances. "Autobots don't harm humans!" I turned another corner and began to sprint towards the rec room doors. Most of the bots should be in there. They should be. I'd be safe in there.

I pushed myself even harder, even though my calves and thighs began to burn, and lungs began to feel like they had been set on fire. But I didn't stop, even as Sunstreaker took another swipe at me. "What are you going to do, 'Streaker? Gonna smush me? Optimus Prime will really be mad at you if you do." His answer was another grab at me, and I screamed. I continued to scream as I rocketed through the rec room's human door and into the rec room itself. But then I went deathly quiet as I stopped and looked around at the 'Bots that were in the room.

Sideswipe, Bumblebee, Ironhide, Jolt, the Wreckers, Arcee, Elita-1, Chromia… I finally spotted my guardian and, with the last of my energy, I ran towards him. "Mirage! MIRAGE!" I cried breathlessly. "Save me…!" I squeaked as the 'Bot-sized door blew open and hit the wall beside it with a thunderous _BANG!_

I screamed again, now terrified for my life. Tears were actually rolling down my cheeks now. Mirage quickly stepped forward and scooped me up, and to my surprise, held me protectively against his chest plates. Later, I would figure out it was part of a guardian's programming.

Sideswipe must have realized that his twin was angry at me, so he quickly rolled forward to stop him as I peeked over the edge of the servo Mirage was using to shield me. I trembled violently as I watched Sideswipe try to get him to stop coming in my direction in English, before he switched to Cybertronian. When both seemed to fail at keeping the hotheaded golden Autobot from seeking revenge on me, Sideswipe merely glared at him. I watched as Sunstreaker paused before tensing up. He turned and returned Sideswipe's glare.

And that's when I realized what was going on between them.

They were talking over their brother-bond. I trembled again when Sideswipe developed a scowl, as if Sunstreaker was being resilient. I huddled down in Mirage's servo, wondering how this all would turn out.

* * *

A couple hours later, I walked beside Mirage towards the sparring hanger. It was the hanger where 'Bots and humans alike trained before they moved on to the shooting range. Mirage explained why I was going to the sparring hanger now. After Optimus heard that Sunstreaker had chased be into the rec room, he decided it was as good a time as any for me to begin training. Lennox had been wanting to place me in NEST and give me some kind of role ever since I had come here (which was only yesterday. I still can't believe it, because before now, he wanted me to have nothing to do with NEST). So, he had suggested that I started to learn hand-to-hand combat, and he had suggested it to Optimus. Now the idea was reinforced (even though, I would have never been able to take Sunstreaker down with a few punches).

I was nervous, even with my tall red Italian guardian walking beside me. Who was my trainer going to be? Was he going to be strict or kind? I hated strict people, because they tended to push me (if I was training) even when they knew I could not be pushed any harder. And they would be mean about it, yelling at me until I dropped from exhaustion.

As I reached the door to the sparring hanger, I began to wonder what paces my trainer would put me through. Laps, definantly (but how many?), push-ups/sit-ups, probably… Stretches—most definantly.

I went through the human-sized door as Mirage stepped in through the 'Bot-sized door. The room on the other side of the door was large and spacious. It looked like it was used by both humans and soldiers. It was…intimidating, yet it also felt very open and airy. This place seemed to just scream that this place is where beginners of the training regime felt pain. Pain, pain, _pain_.

A shutter ran through me as I looked around for any sign of my possible trainer. My eyes ran over every surface until my eyes landed on the smirking face of a very buff man. I gasped and took a step back in surprise at his sudden appearance before I studied him. He was taller, taller than Mirage's holoform—close to seven feet tall. He had short black hair fashioned in a crew cut, and blue eyes that glowed. He had Caucasian skin, and looked—almost—like a body-builder.

He chuckled. "Ready for your first day of training, Twister?" he said.

I simply stared at him. You've. Got. To. Be. Kidding. Me. This was Ironhide's holoform? I took in the clothing he was wearing. A black t-shirt and a pair of black military cargo pants.

I gaped for a few seconds before I managed to nod. I took in his buff arms, and gulped when I saw the strength in them. If he was going to check to see what skill I had, I was going to get creamed. I shuttered and looked back up at my guardian, who stood by the wall, fully balanced on both legs, with his arms crossed. He looked down at me and then gave me a small nod, as if to tell me, 'you'll be fine.' I turned back to look at Ironhide. "Okay, so what do we do first?"

Ironhide smiled at my fake enthusiasm for training. I watched as he flexed his arms, causing his biceps and triceps to bulge menacingly. Crap. What was he trying to do, make me feel even smaller and weak than I already was? Of course, he is a giant robot really, but did he have to do this with his holoform? "I want to see what fighting skills you have _before_ you warm up and stretch. In a fight, you won't have a chance to stretch and ready yourself. You'll be caught off guard."

I blinked only once, but in that fraction of the second that it took me to blink, Ironhide had already swung at me. I squeaked in surprise and jumped back in order to dodge the attack. He swung at me again and I dodged again.

"Fight back, girl!" Ironhide commanded before he came at me with a roundhouse kick.

In response to his kick, I bent myself backwards, at the waist, as far as I could go, and cried out as his leg passed only a few inches over me. Then I straightened quickly and punched at his chin (he was so tall, I wasn't sure if I could reach his nose). _I don't know how to fight!_

My punch landed, but Ironhide didn't even flinch. His head didn't even move when my knuckles collided with the slightly grizzled chin. I took a step back, shaking my hand in order to get rid of the pain that had erupted when I had jabbed at him. And for a few seconds, we both stood still. _Over the years,_ I thought, _I've realized all my power is in my legs. That's why I've never been really able to hold myself up on the monkey-bars. Though, now that I think about it, when I punched my father once, I actually caused him pain. And that man is like made of steel. So, I might have some power in my arms, but they're not as strong as my legs. Let's see if Ironhide will at least _grunt_ if I managed to land a kick on him._ With that plan settled I lowered myself into a fighting stance, and focused on Ironhide's face.

He was the one to start the fighting once again. I dodged and dodged again before I saw an opening in his attacks and kicked out at his abdomen will all the strength I could muster. When my foot crashed into him, it was almost slow motion as Ironhide jerked and was forced to take a few steps back. He had a shocked look on his face. I took a step back in surprise when I was once back on both feet. "M-must be the AllSpark power Ratchet told me that's inside me," was my lame excuse.

Training started after that. Ironhide made me run laps around the hanger before I was made to do push-ups (which I sucked at), sit-ups, and various other exercises. He told me he also wanted me to learn how to do flips and other acrobatic exercises. That shocked me, because I wasn't the most flexible person on the planet. I had never been in gymnastics when I was younger.

I managed to get through that training session.

And that's how the training sessions went.

* * *

Three weeks after my training sessions began, Sarah handed me his military cell phone. I looked up at her questionably, but the response I got was just a nod.

I took the phone and put it up to my ear. "Hello?"

"Twister?" said Lennox.

"It is I, sir," I said humorously.

I received no chuckle though. "You are needed at the base. Ratchet would like to speak to you, and General Morshower would like to see you in his office," he said seriously.

I gulped. "W-what did I do wrong, sir?"

"Nothing, nothing. Ratchet just has an update on your condition, and Morshower wants to know if you're going to stay a citizen while you're at NEST."


	15. You're a Private now, Private!

**Things are beginning to heat up. I'm glad you guys are enjoying this fic.**

**Thanks **_KnockOut'sFanGirl221, SJSGirl_** (formerly MissShelz)**_, Minimus Prime, Naughtia, Kaitlyn Thorne, _**and**_ Iceshadow911247_** for reviewing!**

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen: You're a Private now, Private!**

I shifted from foot to foot in nervousness. Okay…General Morshower wants to see me… Why? Because I was a civilian at NEST's base. Why is that important? Sam and Mikaela were civilians… never mind. _Stop comparing yourself with others, Twister!_ I scolded myself.

I looked down at myself after I stepped into the empty elevator, and pressed the button marked '4th Floor'. After my training began, Sarah had taken me shopping. Thank goodness that Tranquility had better shopping selections than my hometown did. Today, I was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans, my pink converse, a loose light pink blouse, and a black hairband. Sarah wanted me to be dressed as formally as possible when I went to see the General, who was Will's superior. She also wanted me to wear some jewelry. On my right wrist was my Medic Alert bracelet, which was accompanied by a dainty watch that had a quartz purple theme to it. On my ears, I was wearing a pair of silver, oval-shaped earrings with purple accents. Around my neck was a thin black cord which a small locket, which rested against my collarbone, hung from.

The clothing made me look almost professional, Sarah had said to me. Though, I wasn't sure if my reading glasses went along with the outfit.

The elevator reached the fourth floor, and after a small jolt, the doors opened. I stepped out and looked around for Morshower's office. The elevator lead out into a wide hall that ran from the right to the left, and I slowly looked left and right. I couldn't see any doors that looked like they lead into Morshower's office. I was very confused. So I caught a man who was coming towards the elevator. "Sir," I said, "do you know where General Morshower's office is?"

The man nodded and quickly told me the directions before he hurried off to continue whatever he had been doing before I interrupted him. General Morshower's office was to the left and at the end of the hall.

I slowly began to walk there, terrified for my life. What was he going to talk about? From the movies, I knew he was a stiff and a stereotypical man who was a no-nonsense kind of guy. So I was determined to not let the man intimidate me. If he did, I would hide it.

I reached the right door and knocked on it. I had to wait a few seconds before I heard Morshower's firm voice say, "Enter."

With a shaky breath, I opened the door and stepped into the office. I carefully shut the door behind me before I stood by the door, unsure at what I should do next. Fortunately, that was solved when Morshower calmly waved me over. _How come he's still a general? I thought he retired in 2009?_ I asked as I came to stand across the desk from Morshower. I stood stiffly and saluted him. Coming from military background didn't make me a military expert. Grandpa was in the military, but he was dead about eleven years before I was born. So I didn't really know what I was doing. Was I offending the General?

"There is no need for that, Ms. Cody," Morshower said as he looked up from his paperwork. "At ease." He then gestured to pull a chair over and sit down. I did that and sat there, waiting for him to begin. Was this one of those don't speak unless spoken to moments?

I continued to sit and look at him. Morshower paused to sign one more thing before he looked up at me and looked me in the eye. I looked back into his eyes and refused to blink. He sighed and looked away from me, before he set down his pen. "Ms. Cody, thank you for coming to my office as quickly as you could. I have called you here today because we need to talk about your position in NEST."

I blinked. "And why's that, sir?" I asked politely

"Sam Witwicky has been taken by, quite possibly, the Decepticons. He probably still contains a large part of the data the AllSpark shard he had downloaded into him. We have reason to believe that they will either use him as a hostage or take the data from his mind. We need as much help as we can. That is why I have called you here. I am, as of now, naming you Private Cody. You shall continue you training."

I looked at him in shock. "What?" was all I managed to say.

"You heard what I said," he said firmly. "You're a Private now, Private!"

* * *

I stared out into space as I waited for Ratchet to come into the med bay. Jazz was sitting on the berth across from the one I was sitting on and was looking at me as I went over everything in my mind. I was a Private now, one of the lowest soldiers on the force. I was no longer a civilian. And I would never be one ever again. I could feel Jazz watching me closely as he waited for Ratchet to arrive. He was going to have a checkup after Ratchet was done with me. Ratchet wanted to see how Jazz was doing and how he was handling his walking.

"Ratchet seemed really worried when Ah came in here befo' ya did," Jazz said calmly. "Ah wondah wat's up?"

I shrugged absentmindedly. "I wouldn't be surprised. For all I know, I could be mutating into some kind of funky creature because of the AllSpark energy."

The saboteur nodded. "But don' think that way, Twistette. It'd be horrible if ya suddenly became a monstah!"

"I always knew you cared, Jazz," I smiled up at him before the door of the med bay opened and Ratchet walked in.

"Good afternoon Twister," the mint green medic said to me. Did he just ignore Jazz? Hmm, he must be very preoccupied. But by what? No…let me guess… There's _one _reasonable answer: me.

"Hey, Ratchet," I said. "Thanks for not calling me 'Private Cody'. Every soldier has been calling me that. Private Cody this, and Private Cody that." I took a deep breath. "So why am I here?"

Ratchet went and made sure his servos were empty and disinfected before he walked over to me. He then stood before me, conveniently blocking Jazz's view of me. "Que and I have been studying the AllSpark readings closely for the last few weeks and have grown concerned." He paused for a second in order to reach up and press something on the side of his head. Light suddenly shone from out of his optics and a hologram appeared beside me. I stood up and turned to look at it before it was a real-life sized me. But it showed only my skeleton and my heart. "Around your heart," he said before something glowing yellow surrounded my heart on the hologram, "AllSpark energy is collecting, but we do not know why."

I tapped my right index finger against my chin. "Maybe the AllSpark is just trying to do something. Maybe heal me? Or maybe it's trying to make a spark," I suggested.

"How can ya be so calm about this?" Jazz asked from behind Ratchet.

Ratchet ignored him. "Your deductions may be correct. We will look into it," he said. I turned to get off of the birth, believing he was done with me, but Ratchet stopped me. "Twister. I've been speaking with Colonel Lennox and General Morshower, and they both agreed on what I was asking of them." He sighed as I looked up at him with respectful eyes. "You see, double the soldiers are needed as we are stretched and forced to send soldiers all over the world to search for Sam. It is the same with medics. I have Jolt, yes, but he is currently stationed in CFB Comox. Moonracer is still among the stars. NEST is finding that they need another medic, and none of the soldiers have volunteered to become my apprentice. So I asked Lennox and Morshower about you. I saw and heard about how you care about things, so I asked if you could become my apprentice."

I stared at him and gaped. Me? He wanted _me_ to become his apprentice? Grumpy old Ratchet wanted me? Was there something wrong with him? "Is it because you want to keep a closer eye on me?" I asked. "What about Mirage? He's my guardian. Wouldn't he become jealous or something?"

The door to the med bay opened and Mirage stepped into the room. "You need a job," he stated calmly. "And being a Medical Apprentice is a duty that is a lot safer than being a scout." I narrowed my eyes at the red mech. He was taking this Guardian business way too seriously.

I looked up at Ratchet as Mirage came to stand beside him. "You know this is putting me under a lot of pressure, right?" I told them.

Ratchet nodded before I physically felt him scanning me. Huh, maybe I could feel them now because the energy inside me was doing something? "Indeed. You're under a great deal of stress. I assume it is because of your recent ascent to the title of 'Private', and my offer to become my apprentice?" I nodded in affirmation.

"It's all so much to take in. And when I feel like I have to make an important decision, I feel pressured and become stressed. And this is an important decision, right?" I said.

Mirage glanced at Ratchet as the medic nodded. I just looked at them.

There was so much to take in. My mind felt like it was going on the fritz. I understood the situation, and how all of NEST was basically searching every inch of the Earth in order to find Sam. Something in me told me that I had to help, so I sorted out what could happen should I become a medic before I looked up at Ratchet.

I slowly walked up to the mint green bot and reached down for one of his digits on his servo that happened to be resting on the berth. I hefted the digit and tried to shake it, but it was difficult to do so until Ratchet realized what I was trying to do. He held up his servo and I shook his digit. "I'd…be glad to become your apprentice, sir," I said, craning my neck in order to look up into his optics.

* * *

Later that day, I was given a military uniform. On the left shoulder, there was a Canadian flag patch, and on my right shoulder, there was a NEST Global Alliance patch, and a Private rank patch under it. When I came to base the next day, I would be required to wear it. Not that I minded.

The next day, I woke up in my bed in the Lennoxs' home, and found that I did not want to move. I found myself dreading the title of 'Private'. Like, what were they expecting of me? Would Ironhide train me harder? I was halfway through the acrobatics training, but I had a feeling that he had been going easy on me. Great. Welcome to your new life, Mikaela Cody, because it's going to get a heck of a lot harder in a few days.

I rolled my eyes and attempted to pull myself out of bed. But my body refused to do anything. So I slowly reached over and grabbed the cell phone Will had given me in order to keep in contact with the 'Bots and dialed Ratchet. I listened to it ring a few times before the medic picked up. "Hey, Ratchet, please say something to get me out of bed…" I croaked.

"Primus, femme! What are you feeling?" Ratchet asked, a worried tone creeping in.

"I'm just tired, Ratchet, that's all."

"Then sleep. I suspect it's the AllSpark energy. Come in at noon, and I'll check you over."

"Thanks Ratch'…" and with that, I was barely able to end the call before I fell back to sleep.

••••

_::Report, Twisterstrike!:: Optimus ordered_

_::In deep slag, sir!:: I said. ::I'm surrounded.::_

_::How many of them are they?::_

_::At least twenty, sir!:: I looked up and around and saw how many Decepticons were about to descend on me. I didn't stand a chance. I was much too small. I barely came to the ankle of most of the 'Cons._

••••

_I walked up behind Optimus and looked up at the screen he was staring at. "What is it, sir?" I asked. "Have the Decepticons taken another town?"_

_The regal Autobot shook his helm. "No."_

"_Have they found another Energon deposit?"_

_He shook his helm again. "No."_

"_Are we running out of Energon?"_

_Another shake of the helm. "No."_

_I fell silent, having no idea what was on my leader's processor. But did have a deep sense of dread rolling around in my tank._

••••

_I suddenly found myself in a forest. I looked down at myself and saw that I was human. That I was me, Twister, and not Twisterstrike. I looked up and around, wondering why I was in a forest before I began to walk forward. I walked deep into the forest, enjoying the scenery and how quiet it was._

_I walked out into a clearing where the moon shone down on me and a gentle, but warm breeze played with my hair. I looked around, seeing how it was so empty. But then…_

"I am so disappointed in you, Mikaela,"_ my father's voice said suddenly. It was loud, and it echoed across the clearing._ "Stealing that car, and then running from home like that."

_I looked around confused. My heart yearned to see my daddy again. He had been my rock, even though he had been at work most of the time for the last six or seven years. I didn't want my daddy to be mad at me. I loved my daddy. "I'm sorry!"_

"You've said that a lot in your life. I don't think I can believe you anymore."_ That was not true! I had worked hard to be a good girl all my life. It was that he had never been paying that much attention to me!_

"_That's not true!" I screamed. Something hiding in the trees across the clearing from me caught my attention. It was a pair of optics. One was blue, the other was red. I shuttered. "I-I love you, Daddy!"_

"Is that so? Then why did you steal that Ferrari? How was that showing love?"_ My heart felt like it was being torn apart._

"_It wasn't a Ferrari! I never stole a Ferrari. It was my guardian you saw! It was Mirage!"_

••••

With a scream, I was awake. I blinked a few times and looked around. With a gasp, I realized that I was in the forest surrounding the Lennox property. I looked right, then left before I looked down at myself and saw that I was dressed in my NEST uniform. W-why was I dressed in it? I don't remember getting dressed in it!

I glanced left then right, suddenly feeling the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

Someone was watching me.

I whirled around to look at my stalker, but instead, all I saw was a large sack enveloping me.


	16. Trapped

**So, I have another chapter here for you guys! The end was written in under an hour while a bunch of my little brother's friends stampeded up and down the short little hall that runs right by my door. Not that this chapter is bad, mind you.**

**I enjoyed writing this chapter, since it shows what happened to Sam (to some extent), and why the Decepticons have some insterest in her.**

**Thanks **_SJSGirl, KnockOut'sFanGirl221, Naughtia, _**and**_ Kaitlyn Thorne_** for reviewing! Your reviews make me smile and try to make the chapters more and more exciting!**

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen: Trapped**

The next thing I know, I'm tumbling out of the sack and out onto a strange chair that has been reclined. My vision was blurry as I landed in the seat, and cleared slightly as I realized that I had left my reading glasses back at the Lennoxs'. I looked around in order to figure out what was going on, but could not see anything because it was too dark. All I could hear was my breathing and the furious breathing of my heart. I was scared, and I wasn't doing anything to hide it.

Suddenly, a lamp to my left switched on, startling me. I looked over at it and saw what looked to be a lensmeter sitting under the lamp. I remembered seeing a lensmeter when I went to the eye doctor to see what was wrong with my eyes and why they were giving me headaches. That's why I had reading glasses. Now I stared at it, wondering why it looked so old. It looked like it came from the beginning of the twentieth century…

With a click, I screamed as the lensmeter broke apart and began to transform. I watched as it formed itself into a spider-shaped Cybertronian as long as my forearm and about half a foot tall. And with some curiosity, I watched as the lenses from the lensmeter formed a pair of 'glasses' that popped onto the 'nose' of the Cybertronian. I watched for a second as the 'Con's red optics adjusted themselves behind the glasses. I felt fear rise up from my stomach at the sight of the Decepticon, but I forced it down. "C-cool glasses," I managed to say as it stepped from the small table it was standing on and onto the headrest of the chair I was laying on. It stood behind my head and leaned down into my view.

"Vhy, thank jou!" he said quickly with a small, creepy smile. "I take that jou vear glasses jourself?" he slowly left my view and climbed down onto my shoulder. I turned my head carefully and looked at him as he continued down my arm.

"R-reading glasses…" I replied as I felt it—him—scan me. I grunted in surprise. "W-what are you g-going to do to me?"

Scalpel chuckled. I shuttered at how creepy it sounded. "Lord Megatron knows about the energy inside jou. He vants me to examine jou. Vhile jou sleep, of course," was his answer. Why the mercy? I thought he liked to see his subjects suffer.

"Why not while I'm awake?" I asked, suddenly wondering why I was not freaking out. Scalpel was on my arm! And he looked like a spider, no less!

"Megatron's orders."

"And why am I not freaking out?" I asked.

"Jou are mildly drugged. I did not vant you running avay," was the simple answer.

"What…?" I didn't quite get what he was getting at so I looked down at my wrists and ankles, and realized they were not clamped down. I just blinked as I slowly felt myself falling asleep. But I still didn't know completely why the Decepticons wanted me…

* * *

I suddenly found myself in a small grey room with two, leather, Lazyboy recliners facing each other in the middle of it. There was also a young man sitting on one. I walked closer and studied him. He had short, brown hair, brown eyes, pale skin, and a worried look on his face. And he was simply wearing a grey t-shirt, and a pair of black jeans.

And at that moment, he was staring off into space.

I walked over to the empty Lazyboy and sat down in it. I leaned back slightly and watched him, wondering what was on his mind. He looked familiar, but the drug Scalpel gave me was still clouding my mind somewhat. And that frustrated me. So, I stopped thinking, and just watched him. I took in every feature on his face before he suddenly shifted in his seat and looked right at me. I simply blinked.

"Hey," he said simply without lifting his head from where he rested his chin on his knuckles, which were held up by his arms that were propped up on their elbows. I sat up as I forced myself not to melt at the sight of those eyes that basically looked like pools of chocolate. Before I knew that Transformers was real, I had a crush on the actor Shia LaBeouf. Obviously Shia was still an actor, but he never played as Sam, and that he looked like Sam's identical twin.

This was Samuel James Witwicky, I now realized.

"Hi," I said quietly. I looked up and around, wondering what this room was.

"What's your name?" Sam asked. I looked back at him, and saw that he was still in the same position and was looking at me somberly, almost sadly.

I looked at him. He looked like he had been here a long time. "My name's Mikaela Cody, but you can call me Twister." I paused for a few seconds. "Where are we?"

"Nice name," he said sadly. "It reminds me of my wife's name. I haven't seen her for a while. I wonder if she's had the baby yet."

I knew he was rambling out loud, since he had to be used to being alone for a long time. I just stared at him, though, wondering about who his wife was. Was it Mikaela Banes…? It had to be her. My name was the same as hers. I didn't get to dwell on it for long, and he answered my question. "We're in some sort of computer-generated fictional world. I've been here for about a month and a half. I don't know how to get out of here. The Decepticons have me locked up in here. I'm Sam Witwicky, by the way."

"Nice to meet you Sam," I said slowly. "Why do you think they kidnapped you?"

Sam tapped his forehead. "They want what's…in here," he said before he resumed him previous position.

The data from the AllSpark, of course. "I dunno what the Decepticons got me for…but I believe it's because I'm full of AllSpark energy," I said. Sam looked at me with shock registering in his eyes. I shrugged. "I touched a shard; it felt like it burned me when it was really transferring its energy to me. For all I know, the 'Cons wanna turn me into one of them."

Sam only hummed. "Let us just hope the Autobots can rescue you before they can do that. 'Cause a human-turned-Cybertronian-turned-Decepticon wouldn't be a good thing."

I blinked. "What do you mean? Don't you want to be rescued too?"

Sam looked at me in the eyes. "I do," he said. "But it's only information they're taking. What they'd do to the Autobots by recruiting you would be…"

"Devastating?" I finished for him. "Yeah, because I'm one of their privates. I was supposed to be Ratchet's Apprentice." I hung my head and chuckled sadly. "I wonder how Mirage is. I bet he's freaking."

"Mirage? Is Mirage your guardian?"

I nodded. I looked at him and opened my mouth to ask about what he was doing before he got captured, but my whole world seemed to tilt suddenly, and I fell into a whole new "world".

I hit the ground and grunted as the air was forced from my lungs. But I quickly jumped to my feet, Ironhide's training kicking in. I looked left, then right, taking in all the details of my surroundings as my training demanded that I'd reach for my gun. Though, when my hand touched my hip, there was no gun. I sighed as I looked at the cave I was in. It was very expansive and cavernous. And in the center of it all, was a short, stone table.

I slowly walked up to the table while constantly keeping an eye out for anything strange. The 'Con's were up to something, and I wanted to know what.

On the table, there was an iPad—or a datapad. It was hard to tell the difference between an iPad and a human-sized datapad. I picked it up and turned it on. While I waited for it to turn on, I thought about the Autobots that must be back at the base. What were they doing? They must have noticed that I was gone, since I was—had—been staying with Colonel Lennox. Will would notice that I was gone and sound the alarm. The Autobots would gather together and search for me. They would find Sam too…_I hope_…

When the datapad was on, I quickly began to read through the data it contained. It talked about what this cavern this was, why I was here, and various other things. This cavern was a place for my consciousness to go, though it wasn't a very interesting place. I was here because my body, in the real world, was unconscious because Scalpel was doing something to it. I shuttered, just imagining what he was doing. "He's probably slicing me open when Megatron's not looking," I muttered crossly to myself.

I put the datapad down and was about to walk away from the table, when the ground opened up beneath me and it swallowed me up. I screamed as I was flipped around.

But just as suddenly as the ground had opened up, I found myself standing again, perfectly fine. I looked around at this place I suddenly found myself in, and found I was in some kind of massive throne room. I was standing at the end of a long and very wide red carpet that ran all the way from where I was standing, across a metallic floor, and all the way to the foot of a giant-sized throne. The throne room was dark, with only cold white light shining down on the throne from various windows in the ceiling above the throne.

My heart stalled. This place reminded me of what it would be like if the Autobots lost back in Chicago. I used to think about that what if a lot before I found out the movies had actually happened and we had just failed to be told about it. I was even thinking about writing a fanfiction about it, placing myself as the main character where I was captured by the Decepticons and turned into a slave that worked to fix Cybertron. But then, I planned as the story would go, I would be moved back to Earth where I became a worker that worked to keep Megatron's palace clean.

But this was all real, and it looked like I was living it instead of writing it.

_But…_ this was also just a virtual reality. It wasn't actually happening.

I looked around again before I slowly began to walk towards the throne. I knew the only way I was going to get any answers to this 'puzzle' the Decepticons had put me in was if I talked to the figure I could now see sitting on that throne. I knew who the figure was on the throne, and yes, I was terrified of him. But I wanted answers, and my lust for answers overruled my flight instincts that were working so hard to make me turn around and flee. The muscles in my legs were just screaming at me to turn around.

But I didn't

At the foot of the throne, I looked up at the jagged silver mech that sat upon it. He looked down at me with a pair of blood-red optics that made me want to cower, scream, and run away, but I glared up at those optics and kept a brave look on my face. And the look never wavered as the mech chuckled and stood from the throne. I took a few steps back so he wouldn't be able to step on me. "What are you doing, Megatron?" I demanded.

He looked down at me, and the light threw his features into darkness. All I could see was his red optics staring down at me. My brave face nearly wavered as I took in his towering frame that blocked out the light and served to intimidate me. "What do you think I'm doing, little femme?" he said.

"You've placed me in some sort of virtual reality. I've been flipped from one, I guess, reality to the next…but for what?"

"Those served to disorient you," he replied. "And as for why you're here…"

* * *

Megatron had the most devious smirk on his faceplates as he disconnected himself from the computer the human femme—Twister, was it?—was connected to. He had told her troubled consciousness all about why she was in the Decepticons' clutches in order to discourage her and break down the mental barriers she had put up. She had a strong soul, he had to give her that. She barely believed what he had said, had denied all that he had told her. She didn't want to believe that with just a drop of his own Energon, she would become one of them with the help of the AllSpark. She had pretended to be brave, but he knew, under that brave look she had on her face, she was terrified.

Terrified of him, of course.

But he could also sense the faint hope she had for being rescued by the Autobots. Megatron had no doubts that those mechs lead by his brother would be searching for her at that very moment. But they were never going to find her. The base was heavily cloaked. This was how they had kept the Witwicky boy away from them for this long. They would never be able to find the girl, because she had no tracking devices with her and even if she did, they would have not worked.

She was his, there was no doubt about it.


	17. The Bond

**Hey my awesome readers, what's up? Well, I got this chapter done yesterday, so lucky me gets to put it up today! And it means you guys get to read this sooner as well.**

**Thank you **_SJSGirl, Californiagirl26, Naughtia, KnockOut'sFanGirl221, and Kaitlyn Thorne_** for reviewing! 80 reviews?_!_ *jaw drops***

"speaking" = ...speaking

_speaking_ = thoughts

_"speaking"_ = speaking over the bond

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen: The Bond**

If one was to watch the red Autobot known as Mirage as he recharged on his berth, in his quarters, they would have seen how he twitched fitfully. This was unusual for a recharging Cybertronian. Yes, they dreamed, but they rarely ever moved while on their berth. And if they did, they never had a look on their face that told them they were trying to hide the fear they were feeling.

Mirage was having a hard time after he found out that Twister had been taken from the Lennoxs' own farm. He blamed it on himself that he was not there, watching over her. Ironhide had already left with Lennox before she was taken, so there wasn't a single Autobot on the property. He felt that he had failed his duty as a Guardian.

_Mirage suddenly found himself in a large room that could have fit many Cybertronians in it. He looked around in confusion before his attention was caught by the red carpet on the metallic floor. He followed the carpet with his gaze until he caught sight of a familiar fleshy figure and the unmistakable form of the leader of the Decepticons—Megatron. He wanted to freak, because his charge was so close to the Decepticon lord, but he found that he could not move. He couldn't even move a piston in an effort to move forward. He could only move is helm and his optics._

_He watched as Megatron stood up from the throne he had been sitting on, and some sort of fear ran through his spark. Mirage didn't know why he felt this way about his charge, but at this moment, he was forced to watch as the being he had been ordered to protect stand at the feet of his enemy._

_"What are you doing, Megatron?" Twister demanded as Megatron loomed over her. Mirage wanted to dash over there and attack the Decepticon, but he was still immobilized._

_"What do you think I'm doing, little femme?" Megatron said._

_"You've placed me in some sort of virtual reality. I've been flipped from one, I guess, reality to the next…but for what?"_

_"Those served to disorient you," Megatron replied. "And as for why you're here…" the accursed Cybertronian paused for a moment, causing Twister to hold her breath. Mirage could see how still she was holding herself now. She was terrified. "The AllSpark energy. You're full of it. In ancient texts written by the Dynasty of the Primes, there was an incident that occurred when an organic creature—a human—touched the AllSpark during the heat of the battle over the Sun Harvester. Some Energon was accidentally spilt onto the fleshling sometime later. Not long after that, the family unit that fleshling belonged to found out that he became one of us. A Cybertronian. His village tried to destroy him, but he got away."_

_Twister crossed her arms. "So what? That happened a long time ago. You're probably just a sparkling then—or even better; you probably hadn't even been sparked yet. It happened such a long time ago, it could just be a story," she retorted._

_Megatron growled. "It was true," he said. "The Fallen was there and saw it happen with his own optics!"_

_Twister looked down, and Mirage could only guess there was a look of hopelessness flitting across her face. She was quiet, unable to think up another retort._

_Megatron chuckled softly and used a digit to gently lift Twister's chin up in a gesture he thought would never come from the Decepticon. "It is your fate, young femme," he said softly. Mirage couldn't breathe. It sounded like Megatron was…he didn't know. He couldn't think of it. It was such a revolting thought. Mirage really wanted to get out of this paralysis he was in and save his charge, but before he could even start to struggle, he felt a wave of emotions. This startled him, and when he tried to sort out the different emotions, some of them grief, fear, and hate, his processor blanked when he realized what had happened._

_He had a bond._

_A Guardian-Charge bond._

"_Allow me to give you some of my Energon, and join the Decepticons," Megatron offered. "I know how you've always wanted a fleshling mech for your own, but have always been afraid to look for one because of your creators or because there was never one available. If you become a Decepticon, you'll be able to cut your ties with your human creators and find the mech you've always dreamed of…"_

_There was a short pause after Megatron stopped speaking. Mirage's spark felt like it had stopped beating. _

_Twister glared at the Decepticon leader and shoved his digit away from her. "I'd never cut my ties from my family—or the Autobots, for that matter! I'd rather stay a 'fleshling' and a pathetic mortal then ever be one of your soldiers!" she screamed._

_Mirage couldn't believe it. The loyalty his charge had for her family and the Autobots was pleasing and a worry reliever. But it amazed him how, even after all the accusations her family—mainly her father—had thrown at her, she still cared about her family._

_Mirage watched for Megatron's reaction. But there was none._

_A startled scream jolted the Autobot spy out of his stare and caused him to look down. He was just able to see his charge plummet through the floor and out of sight. This caused him to freeze, and he couldn't help but stare at the floor where she had been moments before. He continued to stare at that spot on the floor even as everything went dark and he was left standing in a black void._

_Something balled up in his chest as a feeling of despair and defeat swept over him. He had never felt this way before, but he did not care. What mattered was that he had failed in protecting his charge._

_The emotions that had balled up in his chest suddenly rushed up to voice box. "MIKAELA!" he roared at the darkness. "I will find you, _il mio carica_!"_

* * *

I opened my eyes and found myself laying in a bed, a thick comforter made of purple silk draped over me. I blinked a few times, wondering why there was such a heavy comforter on me when it was like, August? It was the hottest time of the year. I slowly sat up, and realized I was still dressed in my uniform, but my combat boots had been taken off. That puzzled me even more, because with the heat that had been going on in Nevada, I should be dead from the heat, or at least, drenched in sweat from it.

But it was cool in this room, I was alive, and I was not drenched in sweat.

I got out of bed and stared at the walls, taking in the barely existent light and the lavender colour the paint on the walls had. I blinked. Last night couldn't have been a dream, could it? Because this wasn't my room back at the Lennoxs. That room had a green comforter on the bed, and log walls. This room looked like a normal room of a city-house. And everything was _purple_.

The Decepticons still had me. I was still in their clutches. That was the only explanation.

And the only explanation as to why there was no door leading out of this room.

But was this still the virtual reality? Was I just in another part of it? I walked over to the wall and touched it. I felt how the paint was painted over plaster. It felt very real. Maybe I was still awake? I reached over to my left arm and pinched myself. I winced as the pain told me that I was most definantly awake.

I grunted at the feeling of hopelessness I suddenly felt. Why did I have to go and get myself captured? It was not like I _meant _to. I had merely woken up _in a forest_. How was Mirage handling this? I sure hope he was able to handle it and not act like a sparkling.

Suddenly, the feelings of despair, defeat, and grief washed over me like a tsunami and nearly drowned me (metaphorically). I blinked, my heart beating quickly as I realized that those feelings hadn't come from me. My heart sped up even more when a faint voice, very familiar to me, cried, "MIKAELA! I will find you, _il mio carica_!"

I stumbled back and had to prop myself up with the help of the bed. "W-what was that?" I asked myself in a shaky whisper. My mind raced as I quickly sifted through my knowledge of Transformers. When…when one individual (Cybertronian) could mentally hear another individual in his or her mind, it meant that they had a bond between them. B-but I was not bonded with anyone! _But bonds can accidentally be made when one gets close—affectionately close, to the other,_ I thought. I had never gotten 'affectionately close' to any of the Autobots, much less Mirage, and yet, I had a bond with him! _There must have been some kind of bond I don't know about… One FanFiction I read had a "Pet Bond" between Bumblebee and Sam…but I don't think this is that, though._

I didn't have much more time to dwell on it, because the roof of the room was suddenly peeled back. I looked up and whimpered when I caught sight of Starscream before he reached into the room and took me out of it. I struggled against his servo as it curled around me and he began to walk to…I had no idea where. I eventually stopped struggling when I had tired myself out, and watched as Starscream carried me through what looked like an abandoned warehouse. And I knew my destination. Megatron.

Even though I could not see that monster, it was like I could almost feel him. It was just my fear, I knew it. And I was scared. I could feel my heart speeding up uncomfortably.

_The bond,_ I thought. _Say something through the bond! No cloaking-thingies can block that out!_

As Starscream began to walk quickly towards a door in front of us, I began to panic. I forced myself to focus and located the bond. I found it tied to my heart (it felt that way). With a surge of hope, I sent the feelings of helplessness and even called out to Mirage, telling him that I needed him badly. When that was done, I watched the doors grow closer through tears.

* * *

Mirage came out of recharge with a start. "_Non lasciate che Megatron prendere, Twister!_" he gasped. But then he realized where he was. _Had it all been just a dream?_ he asked himself. Was that true? Had he just thrown himself into a guilty frenzy and it caused that dream? But it had felt so real…

He quickly got off of his berth and made his way out of his quarters. He quickly marched towards the cafeteria where the Energon was kept. Maybe a cube of Energon would allow him to relax. He had to remain calm so he could perform his best for Optimus Prime.

In the cafeteria, he quickly walked around the humans that were entering and exiting the room and made his way over to the drawer where the Energon cubes were kept. He opened it slightly and took one of the glowing blue cubes out. Then he closed the drawer and quickly made his way out of the room. He continued at that pace as he made his way towards the sparring room. He needed to let loose some 'steam'.

He entered the empty hanger and went over to one of the Cybertronian-sized benches. He was about to sit down and open his cube when…

Suddenly, the feelings of helplessness flooded him, causing him to drop the cube. Thankfully, it hadn't been opened yet, so none of the precious liquid had spilt. But the Autobot spy was not focusing on his 'meal', rather he was focusing as he faintly heard his charge's voice calling to him for help. He shuddered and his door-wings drooped slightly. So the 'dream' had been more real than he thought. He really had a Guardian-Charge bond with Twister.

He took a deep breath in shock before he bent down and picked up his Energon cube and sat down as Jazz and Bumblebee entered the hanger. Mirage looked at them quietly as he unsheathed his right wrist-blade and used it to cut off a corner of his cube. He looked up at the silver mech and the yellow and black-striped mech solemnly. Jazz and Bumblebee looked back at him with a look of sympathy that he mentally balked at, but he didn't show his displeasure.

All he could hear was his charge's pleas for help.

But what could he do? He couldn't go save her alone. If he told the others, they may not believe him.

"Are ya a'right, Mirage?" Jazz asked, taking a small step towards him. It was like they were afraid he was going to attack them.

Mirage calmly sheathed his wrist-blade and took a sip from his Energon. "Why do you ask?"

"W-well…"

"_Your…charge…is gone…and…we don't know…where she…is…"_ Bumblebee explained. _"You…must…be…feelin' pretty bad…"_

Mirage looked at the young mech before he focused inwardly. _"Where are you exactly, Twister?"_

"We will find her," he said to the both of them. "I'm not losing hope."

Mirage suddenly felt his charge's presence. _"I'm in some kind of abandoned warehouse…I was shoved into a sack and transported here,"_ she said quietly.

"But she could anywhere!" Jazz exclaimed. "How can we find her?"

"_Did you feel like you were in flight at any time during transport?"_ he asked.

She sighed. _"No."_

_That means that she's got to be in a warehouse near Lennox's property,_ Mirage realized. He nearly dropped his cube of Energon again when he realized this. His optics widened in realization as he jumped up from the bench and began to pace back and forth as he mentally hooked up to the internet. He quickly looked up the area around Tranquility, Nevada, on Google Maps, and searched for any "abandoned warehouses". There! There was one just outside Tranquility, where there used to be an old rail-yard. The train still ran through there, but nobody really did anything there.

It was also the same place where Sam first saw Bumblebee.

The red mech turned to his fellow soldiers. "I know where Twister is. Come, let's get Prime."

* * *

"**il mio carica" = 'my charge'**

"**Non lasciate che Megatron prendere, Twister!" = 'Don't let Megatron take you, Twister!'**


	18. Rescued

**Here's the next chapter. Chapter Nineteen, I promise, will be awesome. Friends are over, so AN is short, sorry!**

**Thank you **_SJSGirl, Californiagirl26, Naughtia, KnockOut'sFanGirl, believer123, Kaitlyn Thorne, _**and **_G1fan_** for reviewing!**

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen: Rescued**

I sat alone in a cage secured to the floor. Frenzy had already come and visiting me, and had talked to me like I was an old friend, which was really creepy. I wanted to get out of here so bad, but I couldn't since I couldn't squeeze through the bars and I couldn't climb out of them. I tried jumping out, using the skills I had learned from Ironhide's training, but I had ended up hitting the top of the bars at such a high velocity that my breath was knocked out of my lungs. And then I had slowly slipped off and had dropped to the ground soundlessly.

That had really hurt.

I had tried everything to escape, but it had not worked. Ironhide never really gave me a manual on "How To Escape From a Decepticon Base." With my luck, the Weapons Specialist would have given me "How To Escape a Decepticon Base 101—For Dummies."

As I sat there, staring out from behind the bars like some kind of caged bird, I realized that I would have never been able to escape from the base if I had gotten out of the cage. The Decepticons probably sealed all of the human-sized doors off and only used the huge industrial doors to get in and out. I had no way to escape without alerting the whole base. So I was stuck.

I hung my head. _I wonder what the others are doing… Are they coming to save me? How far away are they? Do they know where they are going? Can…Mirage feel me?_ So many questions whirled around in my head, making me feel more and more alone. My mind wandered to memories I had with my family. I remembered the fun we had, the dreams we shared… But I could also remember very clearly what my father had done to me. Of course, I wondered how they reacted when they didn't find me at the police station…

There was a lot to dwell upon, and the perfect time to dwell upon the stuff I had to dwell upon was now. _I wonder if I'll get out of this alive… Maybe I should restart that novel I was writing…yeah, that would be great. And then maybe, I should write about this experience since the world knows about the Autobots and the Decepticons. I'll just be like Simmons, then. He wrote a book about the Transformers too. We'll probably be able to swap stories…but too bad I know all of his stories…_ Yeah, Simmons. I hadn't thought about him lately. I wondered how he was doing.

Huh, he'd probably be the author of "How To Escape a Decepticon Base" someday. I should suggest it to him, since he was the one who got thrown out of his car by a Decepticon Dread during the events of _Dark of the Moon._ I chuckled sadly as I thought about that. He was also the one who said a very knowledgeable phrase when the Autobots were forced to leave. But I couldn't remember it. Too much had happened since I had last watched that movie.

I sighed and looked at my nails. My heart dropped when I noticed my Bumblebee-themed nail job was nearly gone. There was only a few chunks left, and it made me want to cry. If I looked at it one way, it was like it signified how disconnected from the Autobots I was and how that was all I had left of my old life. Once that was gone, what was there left to remind me, other than my memories? That thought wrenched my heart painfully, and I was forced to fight myself so I wouldn't cry.

I was brought out of my thoughts and my sorrow by a Decepticon-sized door swinging open. Megatron entered, dragging a mahogany coloured Cybertronian by his back-plates. I looked at the Cybertronian and saw he had an impressive set of wings that stuck out from his back. The Cybertronian looked like he was out of it, and it left me to wonder what side he was on. It was hard to tell. Megatron punished his soldiers like he would punish an Autobot prisoner.

"See, femme? This is what happens to Autobots when we capture them," Megatron said before he tossed the Cybertronian to the side. I watched as the Cybertronian slid into the wall next to my cage. "Once you become one of us, I will not hesitate to punish you in the same way if you choose to disobey my words."

I stared at the Cybertronian as it moved slightly and groaned, but did not online his optics. But I did not reply to Megatron's words. What was I supposed to say? 'Oh yes, my lord, I'll do anything you say'? I don't think so.

Megatron strode back towards the door, but stopped just before he stepped through it. I looked up at him with an almost defeated look on my face. I didn't care about hiding it anymore. I just…couldn't. "I will be back in a few joors, and then we will begin your ascension to the Decepticon cause." That sent shivers down my spine.

I sat back and pressed my back up against the bars at the back of the cage. I let out a long sigh in order to release the stress I had been constantly feeling, but it did not work. _Just kill me now. I'd rather be dead instead of becoming a Decepticon._

The thought made me restless, so I got to my feet, and began to pace in my sock feet. I paced back and forth, my feet making small _pat pat pat_ sounds on the dirty concrete floor. Ironically, this situation reminded me of the recent _Tin Tin_ movie. Tin Tin had been kidnapped and woke up in a cage sort of like the one I was in. But my situation was not similar to his, because I did not have a super smart dog to get me out of my cage.

I was wrenched from my thoughts when the mech jolted and I suddenly found myself being stared at by twin blue optics. I gasped and jumped back as my eyes landed on the Autobot symbol that was displayed proudly on the Cybertronian's chest. I looked back up into the Cybertronian's optics, eyes wide with surprise. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a wheel on the back of each of his pedes. I then caught sight of a wheel mounted on the back of each of his wrists. "You're an Autobot?" I asked before I mentally slapped myself. Why hadn't I seen this sooner?

The Cybertronian nodded. "Are you…a friend of the…Autobots…?" he asked slowly.

"Yes."

The Autobot glanced over his shoulder before he turned back to face me. "I am Jetstream, a member of the Arielbots. For the last month or so, I've been stationed at CFB Comox with Autobot Jolt," he said.

"Whoa," was all I could say.

Jetstream was about to say something, but Mirage's sudden presence caused me to nearly jump out of my skin. Jetstream noticed that, and I quickly shot him an 'I'll explain it to you later' look.

It was just in time as well. _"How are you fairing, Twister?"_ Mirage asked.

I glanced around before I replied. _"Megatron said he's going to leave me alone for a few joors. I'm with a captured Autobot at the moment. His name is Jetstream. Please tell me a joor is equal to an hour!"_ I pleaded.

"_You are correct."_ There was a short pause. _"We are not too far from the warehouses."_

"_Thank you, Mirage,"_ I said before I felt him leave. I looked up at Jetstream and smiled apologetically. "Sorry about that."

* * *

An hour went by as I resumed my sitting position in the back of my cage. I hadn't heard from Mirage since he had contacted me when I first met Jetstream. I was glade Jetstream was still outside my cage, or would have been very…alone. He was currently lying down beside the cage.

I adjusted myself so that I was lying down with my left side pressed up against the bars. I let out a long sigh as I felt the time when Megatron would be returning come ever closer. I was beginning to feel my fear returning. My heart, which had just begun to feel that it was beating normally, sped up to a frantic pace, and I was unable to calm it as my breathing hitched.

Mirage's feelings of comfort suddenly washed the fear away. _"We are at the warehouses now. Tell me which one you're in."_

"_How can I do that?"_ I asked.

"_Tug at my end of the bond."_

"_When did you become the expert?"_ I grouched before I closed my eyes. I had to imagine his end of the bond, I surmised. I had to reach for it and then grab it. Then I had to pull.

It was harder than I thought, but I managed to do it. I then mentally reached out, grabbed onto him, and pulled.

And then I waited.

* * *

After another thirty minutes had gone by, I began to get antsy. Where were they? What was taking them so long? I sent Mirage my annoyance through the bond before I sat back and began to wait once again. I never got a response.

Suddenly, there was a mighty crash that resounded from a part of the base not too far away before the wall by Jetstream's pedes exploded inwards. Debris and dust flew everywhere and I was forced to squeeze my eyes shut as I coughed to clear the dust from my lungs. The slowly settled, and less than a minute later, I was able to open my eyes and look towards where the wall had been. Jetstream had scrambled away from the explosion and sat curled up beside my cage.

"What did you do that for?" I heard Mirage exclaim. "We could have gone in quietly!"

"I couldn't resist," Ironhide chuckled.

I watched the opening, knowing the Decepticons were about to come pouring into the room. Jetstream slowly stood to his pedes and activated his weapons, but as he tried to take a step forward, I saw him stumble. I looked over at the only entrance and exit to this room and shuttered. "Block the door!" I shouted to the mech. Jetstream looked down at me and nodded before he rushed over to the door and pressed his back up against it.

The Autobots I heard outside finally entered the room through the hole Ironhide had created. I looked over at them as they looked around and released a cry of relief. That caught their attention.

Mirage was the one to step quickly over to my cage and reach inside. I reached up and grabbed one of his digits before he was even able to grab me. I was already in tears, the fear I had been feeling pouring out along the liquid running from my eyes. I suddenly found myself pressed up against his chest-plates as I felt him turn and dash from the warehouse.

I tumbled into Mirage's front passenger seat as he transformed down around me. I righted myself before the seatbelt wrapped itself around me and tightened almost painfully. But I knew Mirage was doing it to protect me…and it kind of felt like a hug.

"W-what's going on?" I asked my guardian.

"Optimus is fending off Megatron at the moment. I presume the others are fending off some Decepticons. They will be joining us shortly," Mirage replied.

I nodded and leaned back into the seat some more. But I didn't allow myself to fall asleep just in case Mirage had to throw me out and I had to run.

* * *

The Autobots that had come to save me—Optimus, Ironhide, Jazz, and Bumblebee—eventually joined us as we turned from Interstate 80 to Interstate 93. Mirage was going full speed, holding nothing back. His engine roared with the horsepower he was using, and all I could do was sit back and look out the window.

"Where are we going?" I asked eventually.

There was a small pause as Mirage passed a minivan. "Calgary. Calgary, Alberta."

"Why?"

A small sigh was emitted from the radio. "When we passed through there, I realized that city caused a lot of disturbance in the airwaves. I believe it'll mask our energy signatures."

I just sat there, not sure of what to say. That was what Lennox had said when they went to hide the AllSpark in Mission City. Were we really going to risk the leveling of another city in order to hide? I sighed as we continued to approach the Canadian city.

I fell asleep once during the race up to the city, and when I woke up, I found out (thanks to Mirage) that we were in Calgary. I looked up at the familiar buildings and felt my heart sink. This was it. Either we had escaped…or the Decepticons were going to find us.

The Autobots stopped by a park, and Mirage had me step out of his alt-form. I looked up at the sky for any signs of the Decepticons as the Autobots turned off their engines.


	19. Transformed

**Here is the next chapter! You didn't have to wait long, eh? Now I have to just think about her Cybertronian name...**

**Thanks **_SJSGirl, Californiagirl26, KnockOut'sFanGirl221, Primus's Angel, Naughtia, and Kaitlyn Thorne_** for reviewing! You. Guys. Are. Awesome! (94 reviews, wow!)**

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen: Transformed**

I sat on a bench and waited for something to happen. I felt so tense that my shoulders were beginning to ache. Mirage, Optimus, Ironhide, Jazz, and Bumblebee sat by the curb, looking like normal cars. Well…as normal as a Ferrari, a Peterbuilt semi, a GMC Topkick, a Pontiac Solstice, and a Camaro did in the middle of the city. Grouped together like they were didn't keep them that 'inconspicuous'. Several Transfans would notice who they were by the way they were together. I had already had to chase a few people off and keep them from touching the paint.

I was very stressed, more stressed than I had been when Ratchet had asked me to become his apprentice. It felt like someone was breathing down my neck and every time I turned to look in order to see if someone actually was, no one was there.

"Twister." I looked over towards Optimus' alt-form and saw his holoform step out of it. As he walked over to me, I took in his Peter Cullen-like face, brown moustache, brown hair, glowing blue eyes, and height. He had to be at least seven feet tall. He also seemed a bit lean. I looked at his clothing and saw that he was wearing a white t-shirt under a black leather jacket with red and blue flames on it, blue jeans, and brown cowboy boots. His appearance literally screamed trucker. Though, he still looked like Peter Cullen, abet a little _taller_.

"Yes, Optimus?" I got to my feet and walked up to him.

He looked at me with a calm look on his face, but by the look in his eye, he was very worried. "The Decepticons have just appeared on the edge of my scanner range. I would like you to take cover," he said.

I nodded before I glanced around. "Where would you like me to hide, sir? We're in the middle of a park. And if I go hide between any of the buildings, I would be putting the people in those buildings at risk," I pointed out. "And I'm full of AllSpark energy, Optimus! They can track me by it!"

He looked at me, a sad look in his eyes.

"I'd need to be in the Hoover Dam in order to undetected," I added before the distant sound of jets could be heard. Jetstream's engine roared.

"They're here, Optimus," he growled. I looked at him and took in his ground mode. It was a Dodge F-450 King Ranch truck. "Do you want me to engage them?"

Optimus turned towards him and nodded. "Hold them off. We have to move from this location and get out of the city."

Jetstream transformed up out of his ground mode before he transformed down into his air mode—an F-16 Raptor. He used the road as a runway before he took to the skies. The sound of a powerful engine tore my gaze from Jetstream and I turned to see the source of it. To my horror, I saw a black and white RCMP Mustang Saleen police cruiser coming right at me. It came roaring across the park, and for a brief instant, before I had to jump out of the way, I saw the motto "To Punish and Enslave". I screamed as a small figure jumped out of the passenger window and came running towards me. "Twisterstrike!" it cried as I realized it was Frenzy.

I gulped before I whirled around and began to run. Later, I would realize that jumping into Mirage would have been safer than just _running_, but then I would realize that Mirage would need to transform in order to fight the Decepticons that would be surely coming.

I ran down the street and away from the park where several families were enjoying the afternoon. I ran down the street, but was cut off by Megatron, who landed in front of me and caused the cars traveling down the road to swerve and try not to crash. I screamed again before I turned around and began to run back the way I came. Then I ducked behind a hot-dog stand as Optimus ran up to intercept the leader of the Decepticons. I looked up, but couldn't see much of the fight. I heard the clashing of metal on metal, and their monstrous footsteps.

Suddenly, I heard Optimus cry out, and something wet, sticky, and very warm splattered on me. I gasped and looked down at myself. I took in the blue liquid that covered my arms, my clothes, and made my hair damp and sticky. My eyes widened when I realized what it was.

Energon.

But not just anyone's Energon—it was _Optimus Prime's_.

I wanted to scream, but I chose not to. I slowly got to my feet and peeked over the hot-dog stand as my knees shook. I looked up as Optimus fought for the upper hand in his duel with Megatron, but what stood out to me was the gash in Optimus' side. It was leaking a torrent of Energon and I could see the loss of it slowing him down.

I wanted to get up and stop Megatron myself, to allow Optimus a chance to recuperate. Optimus was like a father to me, since over the last few weeks, we had gotten to know each other as I went from training to the cafeteria, and the various other things I had to do. I wanted to help him so badly.

But I couldn't.

I collapsed to the ground, behind the hot-dog stand, and passed out.

Even though I wanted to help, to get the innocent people out of this part of the city, I welcomed the darkness because it would take me from the battle field.

So I let it take me.

* * *

I opened my eyes and was surprised to see a blue sky. It rivalled the blue sky Alberta was known for, and surprisingly, it soothed me. I laid there and allowed myself to feel the softness of what I was laying on. I moved my hand off of where it was resting on my chest, and touched the ground. It felt like it was covered in sand. Very soft sand. I turned my attention back on the sky and saw the amount of clouds drifting across it.

The clouds, the sky, and the sand reminded me of something, but I couldn't remember what. My head felt like it had been stuffed with cotton balls.

I slowly sat up before I got to my feet and stretched. But then I froze. Someone was watching me.

I whirled around, not giving my stalker any time to sneak up on me. But instead of a stalker, I saw something that made me stand so still, I felt I would never be able to move again.

Before me, there were seven beings. All of them were either as tall as or taller than Optimus. They all had blue optics that looked down at me with some sort of calmness that made me want to feel calm. I fought it, since I didn't want to drop my guard around these unknown metal giants, but I gradually found myself standing totally at ease. My mind then began to search my memory, and after a minute of thinking, I realized who these beings were. They were what remained of the Thirteen Original Primes.

And with that knowledge, I stood still with shock. I didn't know what to do…or to say.

So I just stood there, mentally gaping like a fish.

It seemed like an hour had passed before one of them—the leader it seemed—spoke. "Mikaela Ashley Cody, we have been watching you for some time," he said. I merely blinked, my mind not quite comprehending what was going on. "We have seen how you care. But do you know how you care?"

The question he threw at me caught me off guard. I stood there, my mind going what seemed a thousand miles an hour. _How I care?_ I asked myself. _What do they mean?_ I continued to think, trying to figure out my answer. I eventually found it, but it didn't come out as fast as I would have liked. "How I care…I show how I care about things in different ways. When I care about my cat and my family, I show love and affection towards them in smiles and laughs and hugs and kisses. To others, I show care by being loyal to them, being nice to them, being _respectful_. …For the people and the Autobots at NEST, I showed my care by following their orders…even when I wanted to give Ironhide a piece of my mind when he pushed me so hard in my training. I showed my care and respect to my elders, including Ratchet when he gave me my checkups. I made it my goal to be the best behaved patient because that's how much I _cared_."

The leader nodded at my explanation. "That is correct," he said. "This war between the Autobots and the Decepticons hasn't changed the most important parts of your personality, even though this war has made you war hardened—even when you haven't been on the battlefield for more than ten klicks."

I nodded. Yes, he was correct about how long I had been on a battlefield. Calgary had been peaceful before the Decepticons had come, coming to reclaim me. Calgary had turned into a battleground, and now that I thought about it, I wondered if most of the innocent civilians in that area had managed to escape with their lives.

"We are happy that there are still bright spots like you in the universe. And because you still care for those when you are in the middle of a very distracting situation, we will give you a second chance."

That startled me. "A second chance? Why?"

"The weakened state the stay at the Decepticon base gave you would have not let you be able to transform with the help of our descendant's Energon and the AllSpark's power. Your body is currently lying behind that 'hot-dog stand' while your guardian, Mirage, writhes on the ground with the pain that comes with a shattering bond."

My heart stopped. "Mirage!" I cried, tears instantly brimming. I looked the Prime in the optics. "Show me!" I demanded.

He nodded and a portal was opened right in front of me.

* * *

Mirage aimed with his sniper rifle and downed a Decepticon with a shot to the spark and another with a shot to the forehelm. He spun around and sliced at a Decepticon that tried to sneak up behind him. Jazz then took that one out by jamming his blaster into the 'Con's backplates and blasted his spark out.

The Autobot spy nodded to the saboteur before he turned to attack more Decepticons. Jazz went to help Bumblebee as Optimus duked it out with Megatron in the background, and Ironhide blasted Decepticon after Decepticon with his cannons. There were not that many Decepticons left. Starscream and his trine had already left, sorely bruised, and many of the Decepticons had been defeated. It was only Megatron and his less than favourable lackeys.

In a pause in the fight, Mirage tried to find Twister with his bond. He searched and searched, but he could not find her. She was not on her end of the bond. His spark froze. If she was not there, then…

A processor-crippling wave of pain suddenly hit him square in the spark as he heard the faint words of "I'm sorry" from his charge. Mirage staggered from the pain and dropped to his knees, causing all Autobots and Decepticons around him to freeze. Mirage gasped for air to cool his systems as a wave of spark-shattering pain hit him and he fell on the side. In the background, Mirage could faintly hear Megatron and Optimus still going for it. But he couldn't focus on it as another wave of pain hit him and he found himself writhing on the ground from the pain.

"No! Twister!" he cried.

Bumblebee ran over to him and shook Mirage's shoulder while saying a string of words in Cybertronian. Mirage simply stared at him, finding that the pain had finally stolen his voice.

* * *

I stood there, sobbing, tears flowing freely from my open eyes. I couldn't take seeing him in pain. And it broke my heart to see that it was all my fault. I wanted to do something to stop his pain. But what could I do?

The scene ended and the portal disappeared. In its place was a large mirror that was bigger than me. I looked at my reflection, and jumped back in surprise. Instead of my reflection, I saw a femme with a blue protoform and yellow optics that reminded me of my hazel eyes. I lifted my hand in experimentation. The reflection mirrored me. I blinked several times. I calmed down when I saw that maybe, once I woke up (if I had even been asleep), Mirage would be fine.

"Are you ready to go back to reality? To continue on, only as a Cybertronian?" the Prime asked.

I nodded before I looked up at him. "Say…did you know that the AllSpark has been giving me dreams?" I asked.

The Prime nodded.

"Why?"

"To condition you for what is to come," he said. "You were never Twisterstrike. Twisterstrike was a femme Minibot that was offlined only a few joors before Optimus and his crew left Cybertron. She helped defend our descendant so that he would be able to leave. We only let you see part of her life through her optics because she viewed life like you do, and cared for others like you do. It was never intended for you to think that you were her reincarnation or her turned human."

I nodded. "Okay, thanks."

With a rush, I suddenly found myself staring up into the Calgary sky, the Primes and the desert gone.

I slowly sat up while thinking about what had happened. The Primes had brought me back to life…I was alive, but I had been dead. What a weird experience…

Suddenly, I remembered Mirage, so I quickly searched for him with our bond. I managed to find him, but I couldn't bite back the gasp as his pain caused by the momentary break of our bond crashed into me. _"Mirage! MIRAGE! It's okay! I'm fine!"_

There was a pause, and slowly, I felt the pain subside. _"M-Mikaela?"_ he sounded very shaken up. He only said my real name when he was very emotional.

"_Yes, it is me," _I soothed. _"I'm sorry for scaring you like that. I didn't mean it. And…I didn't mean to give you that pain either…"_

Mirage was silent. He was probably still getting over the spark-shattering pain I must have caused him. I hung my head, guilt making my heart feel heavy. It was all my fault…

My eyes widened when I took in my body. I was Cybertronian! Like they said I would be! But I was in nothing but my protoform—no armor, no nothing! I felt my cheeks become warm as I blushed, and I quickly looked around to see if any mechs were still in the vicinity. But luckily the battle had moved on, and I wouldn't have to worry about any 'peeping toms', because all of them were out fighting each other.

I quickly looked around and looked at the choice of undamaged cars there was on this street. I grinned happily when my eyes…er…optics landed on a Mustang Shelby GT500KR. The fact that it was black pleased me. I quickly scanned it (I seemed to know how by instinct) and found myself automatically folding down into my new alt-mode. It felt so weird to transform for the first time, but it was so cool. Though…I had no idea how to drive. So without any more dawdling, I transformed back up into my robot mode.

I went to step forward, but something twitched on my back. I stopped and looked at my back, and grinned again when I saw I had a pair of door-wings on my back, just like Bumblebee's! Now that made me happy.

Now that I was fine with being a giant alien robot, I stopped to wonder about why I wasn't freaking out before I began to follow the sounds of the continued fight at a run. I ran past several humans that were running away from the fight, and dodged the cars that were trying to escape it as well.

As I ran, I noticed my new height. I was not ridiculously tall, I was under two stories in height. I could tell that because of the buildings I was running by. I guessed that I was about fifteen feet tall—Jazz's height. So I was small. My new body had a small torso and long legs, showing me that the Primes had modeled my new body for speed and powerful kicks. My arms were strong, but, like when I was human, I couldn't use them to heft things two times my size, or overpower someone bigger than me.

I was a femme built for speed.

I continued to run, and went straight to the war zone. I came across Bumblebee first, and to my horror, I found he was going up against a mech I recognised as Onslaught. The giant mech transformed into a Astros II MLRS, which was an equally huge alt-form. Bumblebee didn't stand a chance.

I watched as Bumblebee used his small size to dodge most of Onslaught's attacks, but Onslaught managed to memorise the scout's strategy and grabbed his shoulder. I watched in horror as Onslaught threw Bumblebee into the side of a building. I knew Onslaught was going to go and pound the scout into the ground, and something inside me did not like that. I suddenly found myself running at the Decepticon at full speed. I leapt at the monster, and knocked him off of his pedes. When I landed by his head, I whirled and thrust my pede down on his face. And to my relief, it knocked the 'Con out.

Not my first kill, but I at least removed the immediate danger…for now.

I turned to look at Bumblebee as he climbed out of what used to be the side of the building that he had been thrown into. He looked at me after he had glanced around, and the look of shock that registered in his optics was almost comical. He looked at me, and at Onslaught, before looking at me. I smiled a small smile before I turned and ran from the warzone.


	20. Realization

**Here's the next chapter! *grins* The story just keeps advancing and advancing…**

**Thanks** _SJSGirl, Primus's Angel, KnockOut'sFanGirl221, Californiagirl26, and Kaitlyn Thorne_** for reviewing! I never knew I was going to get such good reception for the last chapter :D**

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**Chapter Twenty: Realization**

The battle was over and the Autobots had won. After Megatron had retreated, the rest of the Decepticons were soon to follow. All the Autobots had gotten out alive with only minor injuries, though Mirage had suffered a spasm of some sort that had him out for the rest of the battle. He was only regaining his senses now.

Optimus finished stemming the flow of Energon from the wound he got early on in the battle before he comm. linked Bumblebee. ::Bumblebee, have you found any sign of Twister?:: he asked.

::Optimus, I think you should…you should see this…:: Bumblebee said hesitantly.

The Autobot leader's spark sank in dread, but he gathered up his forces and told them to follow him.

Jazz slowly helped Mirage to his feet. "C'mon, Mirage. That's it. One pede aftah the othah…" the small silver mech encouraged the taller mech. It was slow going, since the other Autobots had to make sure that Jazz and Mirage were still with them as they rendezvoused with Bumblebee. But eventually, they met up with Bumblebee. The yellow and black-striped mech looked very upset.

"What is it Bumblebee?" Optimus asked.

Bumblebee looked down at a spot behind him. Everybot else followed his gaze and look in the small, spark-sinking sight. On the ground laid a military uniform ripped open down the front and scorched. A pair of combat boots was lying off to the side. And a pair of familiar reading glasses lay on the clothing, untouched. Mirage let out a small moan and stumbled over to the clothing and sank to his knees. Now that he was closer, he could see a small pile of ash amongst the clothing.

So she really was gone, he realized.

He had failed his duty as a Guardian once again.

With a small whimper, he reached over to his charge's glasses, and gently picked them up.

* * *

Night was falling, and I had been walking back down towards the states for the last six hours. I didn't feel any pain in my feet, because when I transformed, my problem with my flat feet was left back with my fleshy human self. The same was with my eyes…optics. I did not need my reading glasses anymore. My sight was enhanced.

The forest I was walking through was quiet, and I felt a cool breeze blow up against my armor. Huh, my armor. It was strange to say that I now wore armor instead of clothing. I really wasn't human anymore, was I?

The moon shone down on me, making my midnight black armor glisten. My yellow optics lit up the forest in front of me as stepped over fallen logs and shimmied between trees. I breathed in the cool air as I thought about how alone I was. I thought about the Autobots and wondered why I hadn't stayed around and explained to them what happened to me. They must be worried sick about me. It would have just been so easy just to explain to them, even when there was a huge chance that they wouldn't believe me.

I shuttered and hugged myself as I continued to walk. Mirage hadn't answered me after I tried to contact him after I woke up as a Cybertronian. I didn't know what was going on, and I tried not to worry about it. But that was hard to do. How would the soldiers at NEST react?

Eventually, I had to sit down as I began to grow tired. It had been a long day and my new body was yearning for sleep…or recharge as the Autobots called it. I slowly transformed down into my alt-mode and settled down onto my axles. I felt very insecure being out here all by myself, but I would have to deal with it.

The next morning, I woke up, finding myself at the edge of a clearing, and the very first thing I saw was my HUD screen. It was neat, but I still didn't know what "HUD" meant. On the bottom right corner of the screen, there were three icons. One was of me in robot-mode, the next was of me in my alt-mode, and the last one was…of me when I was human. If I was in my bipedal mode, I would have blinked in surprise. I had a human form? What was I? Was I some sort of funky triple-changer?

_I will have to think about that later,_ I told myself as I transformed up into my bipedal mode. Then, on my HUD, I selected the human form icon, and right after I did, I found my armor and my protoform and shrinking. It didn't take long before I suddenly found myself small once again—as a human.

I was shocked. I looked myself over and studied the clothing I was suddenly wearing and the soft skin that made me look human and covered up my now robotic internals. It was amazing to see this after all that had happened to me, even when I had lost my humanity; I still had a little bit of it. That made me happy that I had not cut my ties with my family. That someday, I'd be able to visit them and try to explain what happened. I'd just hope that they would listen.

The clothing that appeared on my after I had transformed down into this mode seemed to be a set of tattered jeans, a black tank top, black converse, and a black field cap. I glanced in a puddle and noticed that my eyes still looked hazel in colour. My eye colour had not changed…

I transformed back up into my bipedal mode when my "sensors" caused a light to flash on my HUD and make a small "bleep". I didn't know how to use my scanners, so I relied on my instincts. I didn't know how to use my scanners…but I had managed to pick up that incoming Cybertronian signal. Weird.

Without knowing how to drive in my alt-mode, I would have to fight this one out. Or run…on foot… I would never be able to outrun a Decepticon who had complete access to his/her alt-mode. I stood at attention, before slowly lowering myself into a fighting stance. I tensed my door-wings and got ready for the possible battle.

It didn't really surprise me when I saw the familiar Mustang Saleen police cruiser when it rounded the corner and drove into the clearing I had woken up on the edge of. I took in his black and white colour, before he transformed up into his bipedal form and stopped in the middle of the clearing. I stared at him and he stared back. His four red optics stared into my two yellow ones as I began to wonder if he was like this in the presence of _every_ femme he came across.

"Another femme," he mused out loud.

I sneered. "What do you want, Barricade?" I growled. If I was closer to him, I would have had to look up at him, since he was three feet taller than me. He was not exactly two-times bigger than me, but with the skill I knew he possessed, he was just as deadly as…say…a Decepticon that was bigger than him. And me, being a former human, even with great training from Ironhide…well, I felt that I couldn't take on this 'Con.

"I was scouting when I picked up your signal," the Decepticon said. "I was curious."

I rolled my optics. "Right…" I said sarcastically as I straightened. I crossed my arms and leaned on one of my legs, taking on the appearance that I was relaxed when I was not. "Tell me the real reason, Barricade. You find a Neutral femme like me I the middle of nowhere, and you come to investigate."

"True," he said, taking a step towards me. I flinched slightly, but didn't move from my spot. I began to think about what he almost did to me, back when I was still human and all of this had yet to happen. He was going to kill me, and would have if he had been able to land his attack with his weapon. But he didn't know I was that little girl. "It is my job to investigate," he continued as began to stride up to me. "When Megatron lost that human femme when the Autobots saved her, his anger has been hard to quench. He had plans for her that I admit, were quite…disturbing. But if bringing him a femme will make him happy, I will do my job." I resisted the urge to flinch when he experimentally poked my chin with a sharp digit. To my surprise, he did it gently.

"What is he going to do to her?" I asked, becoming uncomfortable because of standing so close to him. "Make her breed Decepticons?"

"That's what I believe his plan is…"

Unintentionally, my optics widened. I suddenly found myself running away.

I ran from the Decepticon as fast as I could. I dodged between the trees and leapt over fallen logs as if I was in some kind of marathon. I had to get away! _I had to get away_! There was no way Megatron was going to use me to breed more Decepticons. I was never going to mate with a mech that I hated, and if I ever had children—sparklings—I would never want them to be put through and have them act out such evil. It would break my spark. I ran for miles, using my now lengthened stamina to carry me far, but after a while, my systems began to overheat and I was forced to stop when my cooling fans couldn't keep up.

I glanced back in the direction I came, and was shocked to see that Barricade had not followed me. If he had, he should have been right behind me.

Straightening, I turned and continued in the direction I had been going, but now at a walk. My systems continued to cool down as I used my internal GPS to help guide me towards NEST's base. I had to immerse myself in the company of friends in order to keep myself away from Megatron. And I had to get there fast.

* * *

Optimus was sitting at his desk, going through datapads and completing his "paperwork". Though, his mind was on other things.

Like the recent passing of a friend, a comrade. She had been, unfortunately, at the wrong place at the wrong time. Her uniform and her ashes showed all too well that she was gone, had passed on to the Well of AllSparks…or the human equivalent of it. It had wrought a devastating blow to his spy, who blamed himself for not being there to protect her.

NEST was in some sort of slump. Rarely did any of the soldiers speak as they went from one duty to the next. When one tried to crack a joke, it was met by silence. Every time a soldier died, it was like this, but this time, Optimus couldn't shake the feeling that this time, the silence was just a little bit more heavy. Maybe it was because it was a girl that died this time.

Optimus picked up a datapad and turned it on. He went over the medical files that Ratchet had posted on it as Colonel Lennox entered his office. Most of the files were about Twister before she died. They recorded her vitals from day-to-day checkups when Ratchet realized that the girl was full of AllSpark energy.

Lennox climbed up onto Optimus' desk and stood by the pile of datapads Optimus had already gone through. "Hey, Optimus," the man said, "how is the paperwork coming?"

Optimus didn't reply as something inside him made him mull over the AllSpark energy and Twister. The energy had been _inside_ of Twister. When Optimus went to protect Twister from Megatron, he saw her dive behind what Sam had once described as a 'hot-dog stand'. After that, he engaged his brother in a battle that would last the rest of the time the two factions fought in that city. But he remembered, while they were still quite close to Twister's hiding place, Megatron managed to thrust his sword into Optimus' side, and his Energon was sprayed everywhere. Could have some of it have landed on the girl?

The leader of the Autobots blinked in surprise.

That could only mean that it was his fault that Twister was dead…

"HEY, OPTIMUS!" Lennox shouted, tearing Optimus from his thoughts. The regal mech looked down at the leader of the humans and turned his full attention on him. "Thank you," Lennox huffed.

"What is it, Colonel Lennox?" Optimus asked.

"I was just wondering if I could take you from your duties for a while. We've got an incoming Cybertronian, and we're receiving messages from it, but in code."

Optimus was curious to see what the messages were, so he took the piece of paper that Lennox was holding out to him and began to read what was on it.

'16-12-5-1-19-5•4-15•14-15-20•2-5•1-12-1-18-13-5-4•9•1-13•3-15-13-9-14-7•8-15-13-5.'

Optimus looked down at Lennox. "Do you know what it may mean?" he asked.

"Other than it looks like a complex math equation, Epps and I think we've been able to crack the code," Lennox explained. "You see, the alphabet is comprised of twenty-six letters. If you number each letter from one to twenty-six, you get a pretty good code if you use the numbers to make words. The dots, we believe, are spaces."

"Would you care to translate, then?" Optimus asked.

Lennox nodded. "Epps and I believe it says: 'Please do not be alarmed. I am coming home.'"

"Who could it be from?"

"We're not sure."

Suddenly, Epps rushed into the office. "Prime, Lennox, the Cybertronian is getting awfully close. What do we do? Do we engage?"

Lennox looked at Epps, then looked back at Optimus.

Optimus was deep in his thoughts. The Energon…the AllSpark energy…the code… His optics widened as he came to a realization. He remembered the legend of the human becoming Cybertronian back when the original Primes were harvesting suns. Could it be?


	21. Glitched

**I'm not entirely happy about this chapter, though I do like the dream sequence that I wrote. I hope you like it.**

**Thank you **_SJSGirl, Californiagirl26, Kaitlyn Thorne, MusicalPrime, Primus's Angel, _**and**_ Naughtia_** for reviewing! When I began this story, I never knew it was going to break 100 reviews! Just comes to show how awesome you guys are!**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-One: Glitched**

The three Autobot symbols popped up onto my screen almost in sync. I blinked as I went over this information. Three? Why three? Why not all of them?

I stopped and made myself stand as straight as I could. Were they coming after me? I blinked my optics again as I looked down at myself. I was in robot mode—I knew they were never going to know it was me in this form…but…

I knew explaining would be hard. They wouldn't believe me. They probably thought I was dead. But I wouldn't give up. I would meet these guys and show them I was a good guy.

My pace was quick when I began to walk in the direction the Autobot signals came from. I had stopped when I picked up the signals, but now I was going again. I couldn't form any weapons with my servos yet, all I had were my fists, but it wasn't like I was going to engage them in combat. I didn't want to fight. I just wanted to tell them that I was okay…and I wanted to let Mirage know that he didn't fail. I tried to contact him through the bond. _"Mirage, can you hear me? If you can, please answer me!"_ I said desperately.

There was silence. My heart…I mean—spark, sunk. _"Why won't you answer?"_ I whispered in a desolate tone.

The three Autobot signals grew ever closer, showing me that they were only half a kilometer away. I shoved the thoughts about the bond to the back of my mind and focused on the Autobots. I quickened my pace and suddenly broke free from the forest. I blinked my optics in shock as I looked left, then right, and then straight ahead. My optics landed on three familiar Autobot warriors that made me freeze in my tracks.

It was Bumblebee, Mirage, and Sideswipe.

I couldn't help the gasp at the sight of them. Of course, as soon as I saw them, they saw me, and began to advance towards me. I couldn't help but look at the swords extending from both of Sideswipe's servos, and the wrist-blades mounted on both of Mirage's arms. Bumblebee was the only one that didn't have a visible and very sharp weapon on him. I briefly wondered what it would feel like to have one of those digging into my side… How much would it hurt?

I didn't move a piston. I just stared.

"Well…there's the source of the Cybertronian energy signature," Sideswipe remarked.

Bumblebee looked shocked. "It's the femme from that Canadian city…we…hid in!" he said, so shocked that he used his own voice.

Mirage didn't say anything. He just stared back at me. It was like he was speechless. I stared back at him, right in the optic, as I thought about our bond. He was so close, yet he did not answer me. Out of the corner of my optic, I watched as Sideswipe turned to Bumblebee.

"We should bring her in. Optimus said he wanted to speak with the Cybertronian once we caught it," Sideswipe said.

My optics widened as I looked over at the other two mechs. If they brought me in, they would put me in the brig until they knew they could trust me. I took a step back in fear. I didn't like the brig. It was a prison. I didn't like prisons…

"She might even have glitches she might not even know about yet. Ratchet will need to see her," Mirage added, slowly.

I shuttered. I took another step back as all optics were focused on me again. I shuttered once more as I thought about being locked down in the brig, with captured Decepticons and Autobot soldiers that had to be disciplined…

Before I knew what I was doing, I was running. I ran away from them, back into the trees. I wouldn't be locked in the brig! _What are you doing? _a voice asked. _They're your friends!_ I leapt over a log.

_They don't know it's me, they don't know it's me!_ I panicked. _Seek safety!_ something in me ordered.

I rushed around a large boulder and used my internal GPS to locate the nearest road. I would go to NEST via another road. I wasn't going to allow myself to be captured. I'd approach the place in human form, need be. I wasn't going to be cooped up in a small space cut off by the rest of the world by a force field when I could be out there, helping the others to find Sam.

_Why are you panicking?_ my conscious asked me. _You were never afraid of closed in spaces. You said you could always handle anything like that._

"I don't know what's wrong with me," I muttered out loud.

I found the road, and transformed down into my vehicular form on it. _I still don't know how to drive yet, but I have to try,_ I told myself as I willed my wheels to turn. Slowly, my wheels began to turn, and I began to roll down the road. I began to pick up speed, and when I got going pretty fast, I thought I was going to get out of there.

Until a large red and blue semi with red and blue flames suddenly pulled up in front of me.

I screamed and transformed up into my bipedal-mode, not trusting myself to know how to break. I skidded to a stop on the gravel. I stood there, shaking in fear as the semi transformed up into the leader of the Autobots. I twitched when he lowered himself down on one knee. But I froze when he looked into my optics with a searching gaze. I couldn't move as I found him taking in my fear. I didn't object as I felt him take my right servo, and as I felt something plug into something in my wrist.

But I did whimper as memories began to flash by my eyes. Some pleasant and some not so pleasant. I whimpered again as I felt a presence in my mind that wasn't Mirage, and I tried to pull away from the Prime. I wanted to cry, and I did. _Make it stop!_ I silently pleaded.

And it did. Suddenly, the presence left, and the memories settled again. The thing plugged into my wrist was ejected. But before I could blink or even take a step back, I felt strong arms wrap around me. I froze, but after comprehending what was happening, I allowed myself to rest my helm in the crook of his neck. "Optimus?" I whimpered.

"It is I, Twister," I heard him say faintly.

"I've been through too much…" I sobbed.

That was met by silence. "And…I think I have a glitch…" I added.

As I heard Mirage, Bumblebee, and Sideswipe call to each other as they searched for me, Optimus pulled away from me, ending the comforting moment. He stood to his pedes and took a step back. "Can you drive in your alt-form?"

"N-not really…" I said slowly, hanging my head. I slowly peeked up at him. "B-but…I can do this…" and I transformed down into my human form. I shifted in place once before I looked up at him. He looked astonished at my transformation. I went over and hugged his pede as the three Autobots who chased me emerged on our side of the forest. Optimus reached down and picked me up, which surprised me. I just stood there in his servo and looked at the Autobots.

"Autobots," he mech holding me rumbled. "We have a lot to talk about."

The shock registering on the three warriors told me almost everything as they crowded around Optimus' servo in order to look at me.

* * *

I sat in Mirage as he followed Optimus, Sideswipe, and Bumblebee. He was deathly silent as I sat in his passenger seat. I could feel the sadness radiating from him, so I reached forward and stroked his dashboard. "Mirage?"

"How are you alive?" he asked quietly. "Are you real? Or is this some figment of my imagination?"

My spark sunk. He doubted that I was actually sitting in him? Was he really suffering from guilt that much? "Ask me a question then, Mirage," I told him gently. "Ask me something that you know only I could know."

Mirage was silent, and I wondered if he was going to just ignore me. People who thought they were hallucinating often did that because they were afraid that someone would see them and call them crazy. But…after a few moments, I knew I shouldn't have worried. "What were your father's exact words when he discovered me in the barn?"

I sighed and looked away from the radio for a second. "He said…he said, 'Did you steal this from someone and hid it here? What did you hope to accomplish?'" a tear escaped when I was forced to relive that memory once again.

My guardian was silent once again. "Optimus knows it's me, Mirage," I told him. "He plugged something into me and saw my memories." I looked at my right wrist.

"He saw your thoughts? He came up to you and connected to your data port?" Mirage seemed shocked. "How could you allow him to do that to you?"

I growled. "I've recently become a Cybertronian femme, Mirage. When I ran into him, I was in the middle of suffering from what seemed to be a glitch that Ratchet should look at immediately, and I was panicking. You, Sideswipe, and Bumblebee were chasing me, promising a week or more in the brig. I glitched at the thought of the brig, so I think that's why I was in such a fit. And he's the leader of the Autobots. I really didn't have the mind to say no…"

"I see."

It was quiet between us for the rest of the trip, and I had the feeling that my guardian was mad at me. I didn't want him to be mad at me. I felt the glitch coming on again as we pulled up to the base, and I had to force myself not to think as I jumped out of Mirage and dashed inside. I rushed towards the med bay, now knowing the route perfectly, even though the glitch was eating away at my thought processes. I blasted my way through the human sized door, and I heard the door hit the wall it was attached to loudly as I transformed up into my robot-form and laid myself down on a berth. I twitched as I forced myself to not think as I waited for Ratchet to come in.

"Primus!" I heard the green mech curse as I heard him walk over to the berth at a quick pace.

I felt him fiddle with the top of my helm. "Optimus said you were suffering from the glitch. Let me take a look at you," he said.

I tensed when I felt my helmet fold back so that the medic could look at my processor. "D-did Optimus tell you about me yet?" I asked shakily.

Ratchet nodded. "Indeed he did," he said. I felt him touch a few things on the surface of my processor before I heard him gently say, "Now, Twister, I need to put you in a short stasis while I fix your glitch, alright?" I nodded slowly, and he smiled softly before he pricked one of my Energon lines with something. I laid there, looking up at him as my processing began to slow and I suddenly found myself falling into the abyss called sleep.

* * *

_I opened my eyes and sat up quickly. Ratchet was done already? I looked around at the room I was in and found that I wasn't in the med bay, laying on a berth, I was in my room back at my home in Oilfield, sitting in my bed with my royal blue comforter laying across me haphazardly. I looked between my feet at the sound of purring, and saw my kitten, Pebbles. She looked at me as she blinked her yellow-green eyes owlishly. Numbly, I reached down and picked her up. I cuddled her to my chest as I tried to figure out why I was here. I couldn't remember any of my parents or any of the soldiers bringing me here._

_What happened?_

_I quickly put Pebbles down and looked over at my side table. My old iPhone 3 was resting on it. With unfeeling fingers, I picked up the phone, and recalling the only number I knew off by heart from my time at NEST—Jazz's number—I quickly dialed it. With a now shaking hand, I brought it up to my ear and listened to it ring. It ringed three times before a feminine (but obviously recorded voice) state: "We're sorry, but the number couldn't be completed as dialed…" I quickly turned off the phone and placed it on the side table again. I then jumped out of bed and rushed to the full-length mirror mounted to the back of my door. I looked at myself, taking in the very baggy moss green t-shirt and white PJ pants with little black Scottish terriers on it I was wearing._

_This didn't seem real. What happened? Who did this to me? If I walked out to the house, Dad would surely whiz me off to the police station once again._

_Next I tried the bond I had with Mirage, half remembering that it might not work. _"Mirage, are you there? Someone's taken me back home! I need you to bring me back!"_ I said through it. As I suspected it, it didn't work, so I tried the last thing that could work._

_I tried to transform._

_I crouched down, knowing if I tried to do this, I would end up destroying the roof. I prayed that the floor would hold me as I willed myself to transform._

_After a few seconds of intense silence I opened my eyes…and found that nothing had happened._

_I screamed in frustration and punched at the wall. A few pieces of plaster floated down from the ceiling as the door opened and my father stepped into my room. "Good morning, daughter," he said placidly. I glared daggers at him, hating him for doing this to me._

"_What did you do!" I screamed at him, my voice filled with venom. "Why can I not transform? I why can't I call Jazz? Why am I here and not at the NEST base?" I got right up in his face. "What. Did. You. Do?"_

"_I did nothing."_

* * *

I jolted awake, this time in the real world, and sighed when I found myself laying on the berth where Ratchet put me under. I looked around from my vantage point and saw that I was alone in the med bay. I turned my attention back on the dream, and wondered why I had dreamed it. Was it because of all the stress that I had gone through, and the slight homesickness I would feel from time to time? I slowly sat up and looked around again. I jumped when I suddenly saw Bumblebee sitting on a chair next to my berth.

He looked at me and chirped. I smiled softly. "_Hello-o-o, hello again!_"

I chuckled. "Hello to you too, Bumblebee!"

"_How…are you…feeling?"_ he asked.

I stopped, and focused on myself for just a second. I felt fine, though a little shaken up by the dream and how my day had gone. "Pretty good, 'Bee," I said. "How are you?"


	22. Getting Ready

**Hey, readers! How's your day been? I can safely say that mine hasn't been the greatest. My mom gave me a lecture on how I'm always in my room, on how it needs to be tidied up, and how I barely move. She suggested that I go out and do something on my bike or take the dog for a walk. I wanted to tell her that taking the dog for a walk would be fine, but I would bored out of my brain. And it's not fun to bike anywhere because there is nothing to bike **_**to**_** in this stupid little town I live in. There's only the library, but I've been there so many times, it drives me crazy. She say make friends! But what friends could I make here? I'm not a social butterfly.**

**Sorry about the rant. Mom threatens to take the computer away from me if I don't start doing something before school starts. And I have to work on the farm today, so here's the chapter.**

**Thanks**_ Suki-Angel91494, Californiagirl26, Naughtia, KnockOut'sFanGirl221, Kaitlyn Thorne, and SJSGirl_** for reviewing! Sorry for any errors in my writing!**

**P.S. I NEED AN ICED CAPP! XD**

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**Chapter Twenty-Two: Getting Ready**

When Optimus told everyone that I was alive, but now as a Cybertronian, it had been a very awkward moment. Everyone wouldn't quit staring at me, and it was beginning to creep me out. After the initial shock of it all, Optimus' soldiers began to ask me questions, and I was happy to answer them. Though, after a while Skids and Mudflap began to get on my nerves. Like, seriously, the two look like they've just stepped out of a really bad 'gangsta' movie and they acted and talked like they had. It helped that I was four feet taller than them, because I gripped Mudflap by under the arms and threw him across the room when he began to poke me. My armor was bristling when I shouted at the red twin, "Do _not_ poke me!" I then glared at the green twin when he tried to say something in defence for his brother.

Now I was sitting in the med bay, after one of Ratchet's checkups, wondering about that incident. In the valley of Petra, in _Revenge of the Fallen_, Bumblebee had picked up one twin in each hand before he chucked them out of the temple. Bumblebee was three feet taller than me and most of his power was in his arms. Me? I was nowhere near as strong as him, but I was four feet taller than the twins, and I had been able to chuck one across the hanger. With two servos, that is. That meant that I could throw 1.2 metric tons across a room. Impressive. That's like throwing a Shire horse across the room, right?

Ratchet said I was fine, that the transition from human to Cybertronian had gone without a hitch except for the glitch that had formed. I guess that was a side effect. But Ratchet had fixed it and I was safe to mingle with the other 'Bots. But did I really want to at this moment? I had a certain red, Italian, robotic spy I needed to talk to. He had been avoiding me as soon as I had come out of med bay. Whenever I came into the same room he was in, he would take one look at me and vacate the room.

I growled.

Suddenly, my comm. beeped. I answered. ::Yes?::

::How are you feeling, Twister?:: Ratchet asked. ::You haven't left the med bay yet, have you?::

::I'm feeling fine, Ratchet. Why are you asking about my location?::

::I am currently leading Mirage to the med bay for a long-needed checkup. I have a feeling that you want to see him.::

::I would love to see him, Ratchet, thanks. But you'll have to help me keep him in the med bay when he sees me, though. I think he's developed some kind of Avoid-Your-Charge complex,:: I said.

Ratchet chuckled before he cut the connection.

The med bay doors opened, and the first mech to step in through the doorway was my guardian. He took one look at me and froze mid-step. I simply looked at him innocently with my yellow optics (I'd need Ratchet to change them to blue) as he began to look left, then right. _He's looking for an exit_, I realized. He turned to dash back out of the med bay, but Ratchet was blocking his way, holding up a wrench. I grinned. Good old Ratchet.

I slowly slipped off of the berth I had been sitting on and made my way over to Mirage. He went to shove Ratchet out of the way so that he could make a getaway. I growled and dashed up to him. I kicked at him in the torso, successfully causing him to stumble backwards across the room before he found himself backed up against the wall. I then pinned him to the wall with my servos gripping his shoulders. I glared up at him as he cried, "What is the meaning of this?_!_"

"Let me ask _you_ that, Mirage!" I exclaimed. "Why have you been avoiding me?"

Mirage looked at me, and could feel him trembling under my servos. He was obviously suppressing the fury he must be silently directing at me. Who could blame him? I just kicked him across the room.

When he didn't answer me, I felt my temper rise. In the background, I could hear Ratchet trying to calm us down, but it was not working. I turned my attention back on my guardian. ::Why haven't you been answering me through our bond?:: I asked, using my comm. link. I didn't need Ratchet to know about our bond.

::Our bond shattered when you transformed into a Cybertronian,:: he hissed back.

::I saw the pain I put you through, and for the last two or so days, I been trying to say I'm sorry! And now I'm here, in your face, _saying I am sorry_.::

Mirage was silent. I just stood there and looked up at him. When nothing happened for more than a few seconds, I stepped back before I turned and left the med bay.

* * *

Lennox showed me my new quarters, which were bot-sized because the citizen ones were still having problems with their toilets. My quarters were sparsely furnished, and contained only a berth, a 'Bot-sized desk and chair, and a 'Bot-sized side table. The walls were white and the floor was grey. Wow, this room has so much character!—_not_. I looked down at Lennox, who shrugged. I took a moment to reflect on how small Lennox was to me now…

"So, yeah, this is your 'room', Twister," Lennox said to me.

I nodded. "Thanks, sir. I do appreciate this," I said.

Lennox turned to leave, but he stopped and turned back around. "Hey, Bumblebee was wondering where you were," he said. "He wonders if you wouldn't mind if he helped you learn how to drive…you know…in your alt-form."

I nodded again. "That sounds awesome. Thanks, Colonel Lennox."

After Lennox was gone, I looked around my quarters a bit before I left. I walked into the main hanger, and looked around for the familiar yellow with black stripes Camaro-Transformer. It took me a few minutes, but I finally spotted Bumblebee as he walked out of a back room with a few items in his servos. I smiled and walked over to him before he had the chance to disappear. "Hey, 'Bee, what do you have there?" I asked as I came to stand beside him. I looked down into his servos as he showed me what was in them.

I chuckled when I saw that he was holding a couple of paint cans. "Prank material?" I asked in a whisper.

Bumblebee chuckled and bobbed his head up and down happily.

"Who are you going to prank?" I asked.

He warbled. _"It's raining sunshine…_"

I grinned. "Sunstreaker?"

He nodded again.

I performed a victory pose before I calmed down. "Lennox told me you wanted to help me learn how to drive?" I cocked my helm as I lifted an eyebrow.

Bumblebee nodded, his whole body showing me how happy he was. He seemed to think that helping me was going to be very fun. I had a feeling that it _was_ going to be fun. _"Yep, yep, yep!_" he chirped. _"You wanna go now?"_

I nodded. "Let's go, Bumblebee!" I grabbed his arm before I began to drag him through the hanger and outside. He then took the lead, and lead me slowly over to where there was an abandoned highway near the base. I was so excited that I was bouncing in place. I looked over at the yellow mech and chirped.

Bumblebee started my 'training' by having me transform down into my alt-form. When I had, he transformed as well. We then adjusted ourselves so that we were sitting side by side. I listened to him as he told me how to make myself accelerate, brake, and turned. He then told me to do it. He rolled down the road beside me as I did.

It was so exhilarating to be able to drive. I quickly learned how to do it, because I was the car. But I knew that I would have to be driving for a bit before I would be confident enough to race. I transformed up into my bipedal mode and looked over at Bumblebee as he did the same. I bounced from one pede to the other in my happiness before I spun around with a squeal. "Wow! That was refreshing! Thanks, Bumblebee!" I said. "Now I can drive—without needing a car to do so!" I used both of my thumb digits to point at my chest. "'Cause I'm the car!"

Bumblebee chuckled.

Suddenly, something in my head buzzed. ::Twister, report back to base immediately.:: It was Optimus. He didn't sound mad or anything… not like he showed much emotion on his voice anyway… ::Decepticon activity has appeared in Central America. I want you and Mirage to check it out.::

::Yes, sir,:: I replied.

I looked over at Bumblebee. "I'm needed. Let's go!"

* * *

I winced as Que equipped me with weapons. As each one clipped in to place, it sent a twang of pain up my arms. "Alright," the inventor told me after the last one had been clipped on. "I've equipped three sets of weapons. They are the weapons you wanted, you see." He pointed to my wrists.

I had asked to have a pair of wrist-blades like Mirage had, and now I examined them closely as they stuck out of my arm. They were new blades, so they were still silvery in colour. No doubt they were soon going to be stained with the blood of Decepticons. I sighed. Such was the life of an Autobot. On the back of my right forearm, there was a sniper rifle—like Mirage's. I couldn't help myself when I asked. Ever since I had played the DOTM game, and had played Mirage's mission, I wanted to have a gun (and wrist blades) like his. I also had an experimental gun that folded out of my wrist. Que wanted to see how it worked so that he might be able to give the other Autobots it.

Of course, I really didn't have to time to test it out. Optimus wanted me and Mirage to board Stratosphere right away and head down to Central America.

With a nod, I said, "Thanks, Que," before I turned and left his lab.

I walked down to the main hanger where Mirage was waiting. I walked over and stopped beside him as we both looked at our leader. Optimus greeted us with a formal nod before he dived right into the explanation of why we were going down to Central America. We were going to scout out the strange Decepticon readings. I was to go in my human form of course. There was an off chance the Decepticons would have scanners that would pick us up if there were two Autobot signals. I didn't understand it.

I glanced over at Mirage, and he told me why I had to be in human form. When he had gone into the med bay, it was for his checkup _and_ the installation of a very important piece of new technology. It had been an Autobot signal cloaking device. They would never know an Autobot would be there until he was gone.

Huh. How cool.


	23. The Jungle: Not a Good Vacation Spot

**Ha ha! Finally! Here is the next chapter, for you, my friends. I had to battle a bad case of writer's block, and time in order to bring this to you, even though it hasn't been too long since I last updated *grins***

**Sorry for that rant, but I felt I had to let out some steam. I'm much happier now! :D And yes, I changed my username (I'm still Mikaela the Cat, but with just a different username!).**

**Thanks **_KnockOut'sFanGirl221, SJSGirl, Suki-Angel91494, Silverstorm13, Naughtia, _**and**_ Kaitlyn Thorne_ **for reviewing!**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Three: The Jungle: Not a Good Vacation Spot**

I sat in Mirage's driver's seat as Stratosphere flew us to our destination. I thought now was best time to talk to him about his behaviour some more. He really needed it if we were going to survive this mission with both of us coming out of it in one piece. "Hey, Mirage?" I asked.

"Yes, femme?" he sighed.

I was a little put off by that, but I pushed it aside and continued. "Why were you avoiding me back at base? I'm still your charge. You can't avoid me forever."

Mirage sighed again as I felt him sink down onto his wheels. I could feel how he didn't like this subject by how tense he was. I sat there, rubbing his dash as I waited for an answer. "I…" he started. "Now that you're a femme…I feel very uncomfortable about being close to you. You now not just my charge, you are…you are…a possible sparkmate candidate as well."

I was shocked by that. I sat back into the seat and stared out into space as I thought. A possible sparkmate candidate? Did that mean that he liked me? But…

The next few minutes were held in silence as Stratosphere continued to fly us to Central America. We had been flying for several hours, and most of it had been held in silence. I didn't like this silence, not one bit, so I tried to converse with Stratosphere. But he was not much of a conversationalist. I sat back and huffed as I crossed my arms before Stratosphere comm. linked me. ::Buckle up, little femme. We're right over your destination.::

::I see,:: I said.

::Are you ready for the drop, Mirage?:: I heard Stratosphere ask my guardian.

::I am ready,:: Mirage confirmed.

::D-drop?:: I said. ::What do you mean by _drop_?::

Suddenly, Stratosphere's back hatch opened up, and Mirage quickly rolled out. I screamed and gripped the edge of the seat as we began to plummet. "I LET YOU WATCH TOO MUCH _KNIGHT RIDER_! I DID! I DID! I KNOW I DID!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as I referred to the instance of when the main characters (a man and a sentient car) dropped out of the back of a plane and parachuted to the ground. I watched as the trees below us approached us at a freakish pace. My eyes were opened so wide that I thought they were going to pop out of my now-metal skull.

Mirage quickly transformed and I was ejected out of him. I continued to scream as I found myself falling towards the ground beside my guardian. For a brief moment, I marveled on how long I could now scream without my voicebox threatening to short-circuit. But that thought was cut short as I felt Mirage's digits wrap around me as he caught me. I gasped as I suddenly found myself in safety before he landed on his pedes.

And I hung from Mirage's servo, trembling from the fear I had just experienced in the last quarter of a minute. I was panting as I tried to process what had just happened. "We…fell from a…plane… We…_fell_… And we…landed…_in one piece…_" I said. I still couldn't believe it.

"Stratosphere would have not been able to land in the jungle. Dropping to our destination was the only option," Mirage informed me before he set me down on the ground. I did not trust my legs that very much, since they were currently shaking quite violently.

"Y-you c-could h-have w-w-warned me f-first!" I exclaimed, my teeth chattering.

Mirage merely chuckled before he took a step forward. I looked up at him as he casually began to walk onto an old paved road. I nervously looked over my shoulder and at the jungle behind me, before I quickly scampered after Mirage. I may not be human anymore, but just the thought of seeing a tarantula freaked me out. And I didn't want to be left in the jungle alone.

I stuck by Mirage's heel as he took a few strides down the road. I looked around, feeling a wave of déjà vu. Central America—yep, this place totally reminded me of Mirage's mission on the DOTM game. Mirage folded down into his alt-form, and I rushed to get into the driver's seat. Once I was inside him, I put the seatbelt on and gripped the armrests. And then he took off driving.

He went fast. He whipped down the narrow and unused road like it was an up-kept highway, and it caused me to dig my nails into the armrest. Eventually I had to stop doing that though, because I was causing some sort of discomfort to my guardian and was throwing his concentration off. So I let go of the armrests completely and focused my attention on the scenery outside, and tried not to panic about what speed we were going. I really didn't like going too fast.

Eventually, we stopped near some abandoned houses so that we could scout out the perimeter. I was not allowed to come out of my human form, because when I was in human form, my energy signature went from being and Autobot one, to a human one. Don't ask me why it does that. It just does… It worked with the car and driver ruse we were playing. Optimus wanted it to look like a normal human was driving her Ferrari in Central America. But I had been thinking about it, and I hoped the Decepticons were not that familiar with human culture, because if they were, they would know that it was unusual to see a lone girl with her Ferrari—a sports car—in the middle of nowhere.

I just hope it works.

I pulled a gun out of my subspace and carried it as I scouted out behind the houses as Mirage scouted out the trees across the road from the houses. Optimus wanted us to make sure that we never missed anything that could have been caused by the Decepticons. But where I looked, there was nothing to show that the Decepticons had even been there. I sighed and walked out from behind the houses. I stopped briefly to look in one of the many abandoned cars and saw that there was a tree growing in it.

I walked back into the open and joined Mirage as he came out from behind the trees. "Find anything?" I asked.

He shook his helm. "Negative. Did you?"

I shook my head. "Nope."

Mirage transformed and I climbed inside once again. And he drove.

As I sat in the driver's seat, I couldn't help but think about why he had been so uncomfortable around me back at base. It was because I was a free femme and anyone could just mate with me? But I was a young femme! I wasn't free! If I hooked up with _anyone_, my dad would find out (somehow he would just _know_), and he would take out whoever was dating me (or stuff like that), before he would discipline me. Of course, seeing Dad take out, say, Sideswipe, would be a pretty funny sight. Though, I wasn't romantically interested in _anyone_, so that wouldn't happen.

I wasn't romantically interested in anyone…

…was I?

I mulled over that for an hour or so more, but then I just gave up.

We scouted out various other places, but there was never any evidence of Decepticon activity. Either the 'Cons were being careful and were covering up their tracks, or they just had not done anything on this route. It was frustrating because it made this mission very boring. It was my first mission, even though I was with another Autobot, and I wanted it to be exciting.

This part of Central America was very desolate. Every building we came across was abandoned, and it was the same with the vehicles. Absolutely no one was out there.

Suddenly, there was the sound of a jet flying overhead.

Maybe…I was wrong.

* * *

Routine surveillance of the perimeter of their secret base in the deep recesses of the jungles of Central America did grate on his wires in the wrong way. Starscream could list all of the things he _could_ be doing instead of following Megatron's orders. But he had realized that if he wanted to keep his life, he would obey Megatron. Megatron was growing tired of his back-stabbing ways, and Starscream knew that if pushed him the wrong way one more time, he was, as the humans put it, toast.

He had thought that it was going to be the end of him when Megatron blamed him for not taking _his human_ back from the Autobot Mirage. Well how was he supposed to do that? He was in the middle of a battle! That stupid Autobot had slipped out when he wasn't looking. And they had had help to. The Autobots had had a triple changer (that the Decepticons _had_ captured), who seemed to be one of the many forgotten war veterans. And he had kept _Megatron_ of all Cybertronians from getting into the room on time.

Starscream mentally huffed. Stupid humans…

He never liked them. They were insects! They were troublesome. When they were squished, their blood and guts were sprayed _everywhere_! They were small, so they could hide easily (until he could pick them up on his heat-seeker radar). They trusted a human once, but he was just so _annoying_! And he was weak. The Witwicky boy had pushed him into the control pillar back in the human city of Chicago, and he had been electrocuted. And then he _died_. Stupid human.

Suddenly, something flashed in the center of his HUD. He focused on it, and with a snort of disgust, he saw that it was a fleshy's signal. The fleshy was driving its car down one of the many abandoned concrete roads that lead into the Decepticons' domain. Why was it doing that?

He flew closer in order to figure out why. The car came into view and he let out a contemplative "hmmm…" _Either it is coincidence or fate, but there is a Ferrari in our domain once again._ He followed it from a distance, and when he got a glimpse of the driver through the driver's window, he recorded it for study.

But then he did a double take. He knew this fleshy! It was pale; with brown hair and organic optics he was sure where hazel in colour. It was Megatron's femme!

He quickly opened a channel to the Decepticon leader. ::Master,:: he greeted.

::What is it, Starscream?:: Megatron sighed.

::I have something very interesting that I think you should see,:: Starscream said. ::Take a look at this.:: He showed Megatron the little recording he had taken of the femme. ::Doesn't she look familiar?::

He waited a few seconds, knowing that the leader of the Decepticons was going over the picture, taking in every detail. Starscream would have been wearing a smug smile if he had been in robot form. _To win more of Megatron's favor…_ he thought with a mental laugh.

::Starscream, how did you come across this?:: Megatron demanded.

::I'm on patrol, and I spotted a Ferrari. I looked through one of its windows and saw the femme,:: Starscream summarised sloppily. ::Would you like me to collect her?::

::No, Starscream, _I_ will collect her _myself_.::

* * *

I gasped, gripping the wheel. I tried to look up out through the windshield in an attempts to see what—or _who_—the jet was. But the attempt was futile and I sat back in the seat as Mirage grunted in displeasure. "Decepticons," he huffed. "They spotted us."

"What are we gonna do?" I asked him. I was beginning to panic, because Optimus had said to me that I could not transform in front of the Decepticons. I had to stay as a human while Mirage protected me.

"Continue to pretend. You—driver, me—car."

"O-okay," I stuttered.

"Pretend to drive," he ordered. "Follow the way my steering wheel moves."

I nodded shakily before I focused on the road as I gripped the wheel with determination. Mirage sped up as I chanced a glance in the rear-view mirror. I unintentionally let out a small whimper at the sight of the Cybertronian jet right on my tail. It was like I fell into some sort of a daze after I saw that jet, because my vision grew cloudy for a second. "M-M-Megatron…" I said weakly.

"Slag," I heard Mirage cursed under his breath.

I snapped out of the daze in a second when it clued in that the leader of the Decepticons was behind me. "Crap!" I exclaimed.

Mirage went even faster. I could feel the speed and how his whole frame was jolted when his wheel dipped into a pothole. I was scared, because I knew what Megatron was going to do to me once he found out that I was now a Cybertronian femme. I shuttered again when I thought about how he was going to use me to breed a new army of Decepticons. I didn't want that to happen!

Mirage raced around a bend and gunned it towards an old bridge. My spark sped up its beat as I remembered the last time Mirage had done this with a Decepticon on his tail. Back in the DOTM game, he had done this and Starscream had shot at the bridge. Mirage transformed, but Starscream had grabbed him by one of his legs and had thrown him down at the bridge. That was probably what was going to happen now. "M-Mirage, I don't think we should be on the b-bridge—" I was cut off when a missile whizzed by and struck the bridge.

The bridge exploded in a huge fireball and Mirage was unable to stop. I screamed as Mirage tried to stop by putting full pressure on his breaks. I continued to scream as we flew off the bridge and down into the gully below.


	24. The Gulley

**I feel I have made a great accomplishment in this chapter *smiles* You'll have to read it in order to find out. You guys are all awesome, even you invisible followers and favouriters that don't review.**

**Thanks** _SJSGirl, Californiagirl26, Silverstorm13, Naughtia, Kaitlyn Thorne, and KnockOut'sFanGirl221_ **for reviewing! For last chapter, the review count landed on 123! *laughs* A free Energon cookie for all!**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Four: The Gulley**

It was dark. I hurt all over. I opened my eyes and looked around at my surroundings. I must have been thrown from Mirage after he landed, because I was lying next to him. I looked over at Mirage, and saw him sprawled out in robot-form. His optics were dark, which made my spark jump uncomfortably. No! He couldn't have offlined during the fall! I jumped to my feet and ran over to him before I dropped to my knees and slid a foot so that I was positioned next to his chest. I reached out and pressed a hand to his chest-plates and felt for the thrumming of his spark.

I sighed in relief when I felt it. It was steady and strong, so it meant that there was nothing wrong with him. He had just been knocked out.

My spark slowed as I sat back on my heels. I looked at my guardian and wondered what had caused him to be knocked out. Did he land on his helm? How long would it take to get him to come back online?

"Mirage…?" I prompted. "Mirage! Please wake up, Mirage!" I glanced up at the sky to make sure we were not being spied on. I then glanced back down at Mirage and nudged him. When he didn't respond to my nudge, I sighed again and leaned up against his chest-plates. I settled down right there and looked out at the jungle surrounding us. I smiled when, for a second, I felt, through my back, Mirage's spark race for just a second. My smile disappeared though, when Mirage did not online.

I brought my knees up to my chin and wrapped my arms around my legs. I huddled close to my guardian as my ears picked up the sounds of the jungle. My eyes widened when I suddenly heard the call of a panther. I sat there, quite still, listening to hear if there was movement in the bushes. But when there was no movement, I relaxed with a grateful sigh.

After I had been relaxed for a couple of minutes, I noticed a pain beginning to etch itself up my right side. I looked down at my side and gasped when I saw that my shirt was soaked. And it hit me like a sledgehammer to the face.

I had been injured in the fall. Much more so than Mirage, it seemed.

I quickly reached into my subspace and pulled out my small emergency kit. All the Autobots were required to have one when they went on long-distance missions. I opened it and quickly looked through its contents. It contained a couple of panels of emergency metal that I would be able to weld to myself in order to stop the flow of Energon, a saw (in order to cut the panels), a small, portable welder, a few cloths (to clean up the spilled Energon), and a few other things to help patch up oneself if injured.

With the panels, the saw, and the welder, I quickly got to work. I cut the panels into thin strips so that they would be easy to patch up the wound, no matter how big it was.

Before I got ready to weld the strips to me, I carefully lifted my shirt up so I could look at the wound. It didn't hurt to lift my shirt because Energon didn't clot like blood did, but the sensitive wires that had been exposed and severed twitched in protest. I gasped again when I saw how much damage the fall did to me.

It was a long gaping wound that ran from just below my shoulder to just above my waist. I would see the wiring and it sparked once or twice as I looked at it. I grimaced as I began to stop the slow flow of Energon I could visibly see flowing from me. But I was only halfway through the first panel when my comm. beeped and I was forced to open a channel.

::Come in, Twister!:: Optimus Prime's voice boomed over the channel.

::Here…sir…:: I replied slowly.

::Are you alright? I cannot get a response from Mirage.::

::He was knocked out when we fell into a gulley of some sort. I was knocked out as well, but I came to because I was probably inside him when he hit the ground. He probably transformed before he lost consciousness.::

::I see. What about you?::

I sighed. ::Well, whenever Mirage transforms, he launches his passengers out of him. I have a serious wound that I'm trying to patch up that I probably got from when I was flung from him.::

::I'll get Ratchet on the line. Good luck, Mikaela.::

I smiled faintly when Optimus used my real name. He said it in such a way that made me think of him as a father. And I needed that mental support at this moment. After thinking about Optimus for a few more seconds, I went back to patching up my side. I tried to breath (or vent…or whatever the Autobots called it) as I slowly stopped the flow of Energon. I just prayed that it would work.

::Twister, this is Ratchet.::

With a small cry, I jerked in surprise, and more Energon started to pour out of the part of the gash I had not patched up yet. ::Primus, Ratchet! You scared me!::

::Prime did tell you that he was going to have me connect to the channel,:: the medic said cynically. ::How bad is the wound?::

I grimaced as I quickly began to wield another patch to myself. And I was openly glad that I was able to wield without the risk of blowing myself up, since Energon is highly flammable. The wielder wielded the metal to my fake skin by applying heat while not using an open flame. ::Bad enough to make me need to refuel,:: I remarked as a flashing light on my HUD warned me that I was low on Energon. I knew I had one cube of Energon stored in my subspace for instances such as these, but I didn't know how long it would last me once I had consumed it.

Ratchet hissed in concern. ::What are you doing to stop the flow of Energon?:: he asked.

I looked down and recorded what I was doing for a few seconds before I quickly sent the file to the medic. ::See for yourself.::

There was several seconds of silence as I waited for a response. About three minutes later, there was a gasp. ::Slag it, femme! You need to be more careful!::

I was offended. ::Me be careful? Ratchet! I was unconscious when I was thrown from him!:: I went back to repairing myself, and soon, I was finished. But I knew, if I wanted to keep the Energon inside me, I would have to be careful…and I would not be able to transform. Crap.

::This mission should be called off.::

::I agree with you, old friend,:: Optimus suddenly said, showing that he was still connected. ::Twister, we will be calling in some assistance. Stay where you are so that we can get a fix on your location.::

::Yes, sir,:: I said before I cut the connection.

Carefully, I put the saw, wielder, and extra strips of metal back into the emergency kit. Then I subspaced it and wiggled back against Mirage. I let out a sigh as I leaned back so I was resting against my guardian. I smiled softly, knowing that help was coming. But then I frowned, thinking about him. Why hadn't he onlined yet? Was there something wrong with him? Did he damage something while he tried to protect me? Those questions whirled around in my head as I waited for help from NEST to arrive. It would take several hours for them to reach here, like it had been for us.

I gripped one of the plates of Mirage's armor for reassurance. I needed to touch him in order not to feel like I was alone.

Minutes when by. First one, then ten. It kept going, even when I was not moving. Then thirty minutes went by. I sighed when I checked the watch on my wrist. When an hour crawled by, it felt like my spark wasn't even beating anymore.

"Mirage…?" I said after several minutes of silence. I didn't care if I looked stupid talking to an unconscious mech. I just needed to talk to someone. "I know you can't hear me, Mirage… but I need to talk. I-I feel so alone…" I looked down at the grass underneath me and whimpered as I sank down into my thoughts again.

My thoughts drifted over to what Mirage had said earlier. He had said that I was a sparkmate candidate. Did that mean that he liked me? How long had he been keeping this a secret from me? When I was human, did he wonder about how I would look if I was Cybertronian? Would he have ever told me about his feelings? Or would he have just never told me? It was a strange think about this subject. I had tried to keep away from any thoughts about having a boyfriend since Oilfield didn't really have a good selection of gentleman-like boys. It did have a small selection, but they were all taken.

My parents had already given me "The Talk" by making me read a book about it. But that didn't mean I wanted to do anything reckless…

The way my heart fluttered when my mind forcefully brought the thoughts of Mirage and love together worried me.

I _was_ interested in Mirage.

* * *

Megatron transformed and land landed deep within the jungle. He scanned the area determinedly, searching for his human femme. He had to find her before the Autobots caught on that with the help of the AllSpark and some Energon, she could become one of them.

He paused and thought about the bridge. He had fired at it in order to stop her from running from him. But when the smoke cleared, she was gone. He had assumed that she had continued to drive off into the jungle on the other side of the bridge, so that was why he was there, looking for her. But…what if she had fallen from the bridge, through the crater the missile had created? That would mean…

…that she was probably dead, lying in the ravine.

Megatron's spark stalled for a second before he managed to get it beating again. He would have to see before he gave up…

* * *

"…so, Mirage? Yes, I am interested in you. I had to get that out and say that, even when you can't hear me. I like you, and I mean I like you a _lot._ I guess my like for you slowly began to grow after you became my guardian. I don't know why, but I guess I have a thing for guys with foreign accents…" I sighed, feeling a hidden weight get taken off of my shoulders. Now that was out, I could leave it be. Even though he couldn't hear me because he was out of it, it was good to say it to him. I know it sounds strange, but I guess it's that same when you're angry and you take the anger out on a bad guy in a videogame. Or in fencing. It was great anger management…

The thought about the former sport I used to compete in made me think that it would be a good idea to add the fencing techniques to my battle strategy. Now if only I had asked for Que to equip me with a broadsword…

Hey, didn't Sideswipe's Mechtech toy bio say that he was trained in the art of _fencing_? Huh, I would have to talk to him about it.

I saw one of Mirage's pointy digits on his left servo, the servo closest to me, move out of the corner of my eye. I looked at that servo as I began to hear Mirage's systems reboot. I looked at him as his optics flickered on and glowed very brightly before they dimmed to their normal brightness and he heaved himself to his servos and knees. He coughed violently to remove the dust from his vents that must have collected while he was out. I looked up at him as he realized I was right next to him and shifted. "Mikaela?" he asked hoarsely.

I nodded as I got up and walked up to his left servo before pressing my right hand up against it. "I'm right here, Mirage," I said as I looked up into his optics.

"What happened to you?" he asked before he activated his holoform. He walked over to me and looked me over. He stopped when he came to my Energon soaked side. He looked very worried. It was touching.

"When you guys transform," I said slowly, "if anyone is inside of you, they get ejected. Before you lost consciousness, you must have transformed into your robot-form. I was launched, and I must have hit something." I sighed and looked down. "But I'm fine. Other than the injury I got in my side—which I fixed…sort of—I'm fine." I looked up into my guardian's holoform eyes. "How are you? Is anything damaged?"

"I retained no serious damage, except that my ability to transform has been knocked offline." I could almost hear the silent 'again' that must have been running through his processor.

But I was shocked at how casual he was about his injury. "Mirage! That's a big deal! You—" I was abruptly cut off when I suddenly found Mirage hugging me. This shocked me more than anything that had shocked me before in my life. Mirage was known for his anti-socialism and how he looked down at the human soldiers with distain. He didn't show his emotions to anyone. He was very uptight. But here he was, hugging me, a former human, with a hidden passion that told me quite clearly that he had been worried for me.

Slowly I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in his chest.

"Do you think you can still transform?" he asked me quietly.

"No," I said. "If I tried, I think I'd open up the wound again." I sighed shakily, suddenly finding myself on the brink of tears. "Do...are your weapons still online?"

There was a second of silence before he replied. "…Yes…"

"Good," I breathed.

I felt him breathing in my ear even though holoforms didn't need to breathe, and I heard him whisper, "I heard what you said—about how you like me…" I stiffened and opened my mouth my mouth to say something, but before I could, there was a loud _BANG_ and the ground trembled.

I gasped and looked over at the source. I wanted to scream when I saw Megatron, but instead, I cowered into Mirage's strong form.

"Well, well, well," Megatron chuckled. I couldn't help but stare into his red optics. "It seems the little girl was driving an Autobot after all."


	25. Love

**n_n How are you guys this fine Saturday? Guess what? I've got another chapter for you! I hope you like it!**

**Thanks **_SJSGirl, KnockOut'sFanGirl221, Autobot StarRacer, Naughtia, Kaitlyn Thorne, ZabuzasGirl, _**and**_ MiniAjax_** for reviewing!**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Love**

The instant Mirage's optics landed on Megatron, his holoform dissipated and he resumed complete control of his real body. I stepped back in fear as Mirage went and stood between me and Megatron. I shuttered as Mirage's armor seemed to bristle in anger. I examined this reaction, and guessed that he was being very protective. He had heard what I had told him, when I thought he was unconscious, so did this mean he loved me back?

I shivered in anticipation before all my happiness of having a male that wasn't part of my family love me suddenly stalled. I was only sixteen, even though I was now an alien robot. I hadn't planned to get into a relationship until I was older than seventeen. There were only a few months until I was seventeen, but after Mirage and I got to know each other a bit more, I didn't doubt that he would want to become my sparkmate. But that's like getting married. Mom and Dad would not approve of me getting married when I was only seventeen…though, in the olden days, the youngest you could be was sixteen and you could get married.

I looked up and saw Mirage and Megatron were exchanging harsh words and insults. I should be worrying about getting out of this alive, not about my future!

::Twister, the Arielbots should be at your location any moment now,:: Optimus' voice suddenly boomed over my comm.

::This is Jetstream, we're arriving at the location now,:: I heard the triple-changer say just as abruptly. I looked up as the sound of jet engines reached my ears. I watched as Jetstream, Air Raid, and the rest of the Arielbots flew into sight before transforming and landing in front of Mirage. I let out a sigh of relief before I suddenly was scooped up.

Thick digits wrapped around me uncomfortably. I looked up at my captor and screamed when I saw it was Starscream. I couldn't transform into my robot-form because of my wound, so I was totally helpless. I couldn't fight Starscream. "HELP!" I cried.

I didn't expect it to happen so soon, but help came in the form of a tall red blur that just radiated anger. Mirage plowed into Starscream, and the Decepticon squawked in surprise. The servo holding me captive suddenly disappeared from around me and I began to fall. I wasn't screaming now. All I could do was stare at the floor of the gulley as it rushed up to me. I wasn't worried about dying from the fall, since I was now Cybertronian, but it was still going to hurt.

At the last second, I twisted around so that I wouldn't land on my head. I watched I came to the end of my fall, as Mirage fought Starscream, and just before I hit the ground, all I could think was, _Aw crap…_

With a sharp pain, my world tumbled into darkness.

* * *

When I opened my eyes, I was surprised to find that I didn't feel any pain. The first thing I saw was…Mirage? He looked very worried, like he thought I was going to die or something. Is that the reaction of a Guardian, or is that the reaction a courter would have? I blinked a few times and sat up slowly. I didn't even make it halfway up when I suddenly felt Mirage helping me with one of his digits. I blushed at this, finding it very sweet of him to help me. "Thanks…Mirage…"

"_Prego_, Twister," he sighed.

I mentally sighed because I liked it when Mirage called me by my first name. The way he said it just sounded so nice…

Ratchet walked into the room with a datapad in his servo. "Ah, good you're awake," he said as he walked over to me and Mirage.

"Have you fixed my side yet?" I asked.

The mint green Autobot nodded. "Already done. You are free to transform and go," he said. There was a short pause. "Though, before you go, I have to talk to you about something." He eyed both me and Mirage. "You've both made amends, I hope. Optimus was not happy about the 'feud' that was going on between you two." When we both nodded, he let out a relieved sigh. Ratchet then focused on me. "About the AllSpark energy…you still have traces of the energy inside of you, but most of it was used in the transformation of your body." I nodded.

After we had talked some more, in which I learned that Ratchet had changed my optic colour from yellow to blue (did I even request that yet?), Mirage helped me down onto the floor. I quickly transformed up into my robot-form and grinned when I was finally able to walk around in this form again. I totally felt less vulnerable now.

"Thanks again, Ratchet," I said before I left the med bay. I walked down the hall, and when I heard the sound of another set of footsteps, I looked over my shoulder. Mirage was following closely behind me. I grinned as I comm. linked a single message. ::Remember that conversation we were having before Megatron crashed it? We should continue it sometime…:: I chuckled at the flustered look on Mirage's faceplates before I strode quickly into the main hanger.

I wanted to know how the search for Sam was coming. In Central America, we were supposed to look for clues, but we never had the chance. We had to find out where he was!

I found Optimus in the main hanger. He was going over a datapad, and I was hoping it was about Sam. I stood beside him and looked up at the datapad for a few seconds as I absentmindedly reveled in the size difference between the Autobot leader and myself as I waited for him to notice me. When he did, he simply looked down at me. "What's that you're reading, sir?" I asked politely.

"There is news about Sam," Optimus replied. "The Decepticons have indeed captured him, but for what we do not know yet. As for his location, it changes rapidly. The Decepticons know we are on to them."

I nodded in confirmation. "I understand," I said.

Optimus went on to say that he had dispatched many of the Autobots around the globe with teams of men so that we would have better chance of finding him. I was to stay on the base, and only go as far as Tranquility. Mirage, since he was my guardian, was to stay with me at all times. I didn't mind. That just meant that we got to spend more time with each other. Lennox and a group of men were flying out to Russia while Epps and a group of men were flying out to Africa. I didn't have much time to say goodbye before they were gone.

* * *

I sat down at one of the picnic tables in the middle of Tranquility's central park. After being in my human form for so long in my first mission, I thought I wouldn't want to transform down into this form again after a while. But Mirage had wanted to take me out to a place in Tranquility where I would be surrounded by nature in hopes that I would feel somewhat human for a short while. I smiled at Mirage's holoform as he sat down across the table from me. I took in his glossy black hair, his slightly tanned skin, his strong build, and his piercing blue eyes… if he was really _truly_ interested in me, I think I'd be the luckiest girl on the planet. No…I'd be the luckiest _female_ in the universe.

We were here to talk, to get to know each other better. This was going to be fun (…I hope).

We sat there silently for a minute or two before Mirage spoke. "Why don't…you start? I'm afraid that I'm not as knowledgeable in the subject of…" at this, his voice squeaked slightly, telling me that he was nervous "…'dating'…as the younger Autobots are…"

I smiled encouragingly at him. "To tell you the truth, neither am I. I've never been in a relationship before," I said. But then I leaned forward and cocked an eyebrow. "Does this mean you're interested in me, or are you only thinking about the future of your—um—_our_ race?"

Mirage blinked in surprise. "It's not like that," Mirage said quietly, glancing down at the tabletop. "I…like you."

I reached out and touched one of the hands he was resting on the table, his left one, to be exact as I straightened slightly. "That's good. Thanks for telling me the truth."

"You're welcome…" he said, still quiet as he looked back up at me.

My smile reinforced itself on my face. "Well…" a thoughtful look appeared on my face. "What to start off on in our little conversation…?" I thought about what I could tell him now. My vision refocused and I made sure I was looking him in the eye when I began to speak. "I was human—but you already knew that." At his nod, I continued. "I grew up in British Colombia, Canada before me and my family moved to Alberta. My family has been very nomadic, you could say, because we never stayed in one town, except the one I born in, Comox, for more than half a decade. I have a mother, a father, and one brother. I have a grandmother, and I had a grandfather who died eleven years before I was born. I like cats, warmth, and Iced Capps from Tim Horton's." I looked at him. "Need any more information? We've known each other for a while, so I'm like an open book to you."

Mirage chuckled as he nodded.

I leaned forwards slightly and rested my chin in my hands while bracing my elbows on the table. "So what about you? Tell me something about yourself…"

Mirage was silent as the happy expression on his face slowly melted off of it. A troubled look appeared in his eyes as he seemed to fall into a deep process of thinking. I watched him as he stayed that way for more than three minutes. I blinked in concern. _He must have accidentally trapped himself in memories from the war,_ I realized. "Mirage?" I inquired softly. "_Mirage_?" I watched as he slowly looked at me. When he looked at me in the eyes, my eyebrows arched in concern. "Tell me about the times before the war. The happy times."

I knew it was adorable to see him show his emotions to me, but I didn't like it how he seemed to fall apart in front of me. I waited for a few more minutes as he thought of a happy memory or fact. I smiled again when a small smile appeared on his face. "I was a noble, a member of the high class of Cybertron," he began. My smile brightened as I encouraged him to continue. "I lived on an estate and hunted turbofoxes for sport. I had a family and…" he lost focus on me and the zoned-out look appeared on his face again.

"Mirage? _Mirage_!" I called. I rolled my eyes with a sigh before I said quite clearly, "I'm sorry, but I have to do this." I pulled back my hand before I slapped him hard across the face. Mirage started and pulled away sharply from the slap, while not uttering a sound. He sat there, blinking rapidly in shock, as he looked at me with shock evident on his face. He then slowly reached up and touched the area I slapped. "I'm sorry, Mirage, but you wouldn't respond," I apologised.

He just looked at me before he lowered his head slightly. "It is quite alright," he said, his voice strong even though he was probably suffering from flashbacks. "It was foolish of me to lose myself like that." There was a small pause. "I was just thinking about my carrier and sire. They were both killed by the Decepticons. They destroyed the estate and drove me from my home."

I felt like an icy hand had gripped my heart, and I instantly regretted all the times when I was acting like a selfish brat. Mirage had lost everything, while I still have everything if I chose to go back home. I got up from my side of the table and walked around to his side of the table. I sat down beside him and wrapped my arms around him. This caused him to look up at me in surprise before his blue-star eyes landed on my eyes. "I'm sorry for what you had to go through," I said sincerely. "Even though I had nothing to do with it, I am sorry." I gave him a quick hug, but did not let go of him.

We stared into each other's eyes for the longest time. Looking into his eyes was like looking into his very soul. He seemed human, but not human at the same time. He was strong, loyal, and polite, everything I ever wanted in a man. Even though he wasn't really a man, but a mech, it still applied. I was a femme now, not just a little girl who wondered what job to take when she got older anymore. I could make my own decisions.

Our heads slowly gravitated towards each other, his coming down so that our lips could meet. I couldn't stop it, even has alarms went off in my head and my processer chose it was time to bring up the moral lessons that had been ingrained in me. I had been taught that a girl was gifted with one kiss, as in, when she kissed a boy; she would be using that kiss. It was her only meaningful kiss, so that's why the girls that kissed multiple boys became unsatisfied after a while, because every new boy that she kissed, a part of her heart would be left with him. So if I couldn't stop myself from kissing Mirage, I sure hoped that he was going to be my mech.

Though, I wasn't human anymore. My spark was calling to Mirage, and his was calling to me. There was no such thing as divorce on Cybertron. Cybertronians followed their sparks when they found their match.

So I trusted my spark, finally realizing that when sparks called for one another, there were no mistakes.

I let my lips brush up against Mirage's for just a second…and then I allowed him to kiss me.

* * *

With a happy sigh, I snuggled down into the driver's seat. That kiss…was one of the most happiest moments of my life. I'd never forget it, because my spark said that Mirage was my mech and he was always going to be my mech. To me, kissing Mirage created a short peaceful time that would last until we reached base. By the way Mirage's engine purred, I think he'd agree.

Things were looking up. Life didn't seem so bleak anymore.

But what about my parents? Mom so wanted to be there when I found my guy. She would have wanted to meet my guy, tell him not to hurt me, and be there for my wedding. But Cybertronians didn't have weddings. We just bonded—which is like saying the vows in a marriage, but quickly and silently—and went on with our lives. Maybe I should talk to Optimus about having a wedding for me and Mirage, just to allow my parents that final happiness before I went out into the world and didn't see them for a while…

Yeah, that's what I would have to do. I just hope that Mirage would agree. But I was getting too far ahead of myself. Mirage and I just kissed and we had just expressed our love for one another. I think the prospect of bonding/marrying each other could wait for a while.

"Mikaela…there is a truck behind us. Can you please check to see if the person driving it is following us?" Mirage asked suddenly.

"Alright," I said before turned around in the seat and looked out Mirage's back window. Far down the road behind us, there was a white Ford F-350. It could have been stalking us or it could have been one of those guys that don't tailgate the car in front of them and were polite enough to keep their distance. "I can't tell," I said after a few moments of watching it.

"Thank you," Mirage said with a sigh. "That truck has been following us for quite some time now, that's all."


	26. 7 Is A Prime Number

**Hmm... I have no idea where to start on explaining this chapter... It kind of just..._happened_. I don't know how you guys will react to this, but I hope this turn of events don't knock my character into the "Mary-Sue department". I would be so embaressed if it did...**

**Thanks,**_ SJSGirl, Silverstorm13, Naughtia, and Kaitlyn Thorne_** for reviewing... I expected more reviews for the last chapter because of the kiss...but it doesn't matter. :D I hope you enjoy!**

**(P.S. The name 'Mikaela', has 7 letters in it)**

"hello" – speaking

"**hello**" – speaking in Cybertronian

"_**hello**_" – speaking in the unknown language

"_hello_" – speaking over bond/Bumblebee's radio

_Hello_ – thoughts

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-six: 7 Is A Prime Number**

"A lot has been happening while I've been gone," Mearing stated as she walked. Lennox followed closely next to her. "First Mr. Witwicky disappears, then the Autobots disappear in a search for what you call an 'AllSpark fragment'. Then they locate one, and find it's in the hands of a teenaged girl. They go to her and take it from her while leaving an Autobot with her because she was attacked by a Decepticon. Now she's here. All this has happened without my knowledge. Am I happy about this, Colonel?"

Lennox never liked this woman. For once he wished that Obama would choose to send someone nice to be their liaison. "No…you're probably not," he said with a mental roll of his eyes. First it was Galloway, and then it was Mearing. Who next?

"Correct," Mearing said sternly. She glanced at Lennox out of the corner of her eye before she came to a stop in the middle of the horseshoe shaped catwalk and braced herself against the railing. She scanned all of the 'Bots currently in the main hanger, before she realized that one was missing, and out of all the Autobots and soldiers currently in the hanger, there wasn't a girl dressed in civilian and/or military duds. "Where is the girl, Mikaela Ashley Cody, that I have been told about?" she called, instantly catching everyone's attention.

All the Autobots tensed before they all turned towards the main Autobot sized door that lead in and out of the base. Mearing and Lennox would clearly hear the sound of a powerful engine that got louder and louder until a familiar red Ferrari appeared and parked off to the side. The driver's side door opened up and a brown haired girl with pale skin stepped out. As soon as she was a safe distance away, but still very close to it, the Ferrari transformed up into the Autobot known as Mirage. Charlotte Mearing leveled her gaze on the teenager, and when the girl noticed she was glaring at her, she returned the look. "Ms. Cody, may I speak to you for a moment?" She quickly looked up at Mirage, who stood closely behind the girl.

* * *

I looked up at the woman. I wasn't very pleased to see her. Something just had to ruin the happiest time of my life, did it? I crossed my arms, my eyes never leaving her face. "You may, Ms. Mearing," I said crisply. "What must you speak to me about?"

"I don't like that tone you're using, young lady," Mearing said sharply. I winced as if the words had dug into my heart. "I would like to talk to you about your presence here at this base—in private."

I nodded with a sigh, knowing I would have to deal with people like her sometime. I climbed the steps up onto the catwalk and followed her as she led me into a conference room next door. As soon as the door was closed behind me, Mearing stopped and turned to face me. The look on her face was a stern one, one that told me that she was in control. I stood there, all my attention on her, and waited for her to begin speaking. I had to be careful of what I said. If I said anything wrong, things would probably blow up all over the place, and I would probably be shipped back to Alberta.

"Alright," the woman said, her eyes almost glaring at me from behind her glasses. "Who are you, why are you here, and where are you from?"

I blinked in surprise at how fast she fired off those questions. Slowly I gathered up the answers to those questions. "My name is Mikaela Cody, I'm here for my own safety, and I'm from Oilfield, Alberta, Canada," I answered politely. I was careful not to finish it off with a "ma'am". I still didn't get why she didn't like being called by that title. Was it because it made her feel old?

"So you're Canadian, then?" she asked. I nodded. "Do you have a passport? Any legal papers?" I shook my head. "So then you're an illegal immigrant, who has access to this entire base?" I froze in shock and blinked a few times as I tried to comprehend what she was getting at. "Are you some sort of spy?"

I gasped as that sentence caused my processing to grind to a halt. "What?" I said almost soundlessly. Once I had had breath, I cried, "No!"

"You say you're helping the Autobots, but is that really what you're doing?" she accused.

I couldn't move. I was too shocked. How could she be saying this? I'm an ally of the Autobots! No, I'm more than that—I'm one of them! I glared at her so hard that I could see her quite clearly through my reflection on her glasses. I felt the anger building up, and I couldn't take it. I vented it. "_**How could you say that?!**_" I growled.

Mearing's eyes widened and she took a step back in surprise. I paused, and thought over what I had just said. I froze when I realized that I hadn't spoken in English…or Cybertronian for that matter. I blinked in shock when I realized that, unconsciously, I had spoken in an unknown language. I shuttered before I looked up into Mearing's eyes, and as I did, I saw in my reflection on her glasses, a symbol of some sort on the right side of my head, glowing. I reached up and touched where the symbol. "There is something I seriously am not aware of," I muttered.

Suddenly, I felt someone prodding at me. Not physically, but more like someone was gently touching my heartstrings. Was it another bond? It didn't feel like the bond I had had with my guardian (Mirage had said in was a Guardian-Charge bond).

"What are you?" Mearing whispered hoarsely.

I glanced at her before I turned around and walked to the door and left the conference room. As I walked back to the main hanger, I felt another prod over the bond before…

"_Mikaela?"_

I froze mid-step at the sound of the voice in my head. It wasn't Mirage's, it was… _"O-Optimus?"_ I gasped. _"What—how—?"_

"_I do not know, other that I now have a bond with you," _was the reply.

I stood there, thinking. _"Optimus…I got mad at Mearing. I said something to her, but it wasn't in English…and it wasn't in Cybertronian either…"_

I felt Optimus gasp rather than heard it. _"Repeat to me what you said—in the language you said it in."_ I repeated it to him, unsure why he wanted to. The tone of voice he was using told me that he seemed worried. After I said it, there was silence. I mulled over why I had a bond with the Autobot leader while I waited for him to say something. When he did speak, his voice was slightly shaky. _"Mikaela…you spoke in the language of the Primes, a language only a Prime could know. How could you know how to speak this? Primes are born with this language…but you're not a Prime."_

I was blinking rapidly in surprise. It felt like my processor was going to short-circuit. _"I…have this symbol on the side of my head, Optimus…" _ I said slowly. _"Could it have something to do with your Energon? Your Energon and the AllSpark energy combined to turn me into a Cybertronian." _I sighed. "_Do Cybertronians have some sort of DNA?"_ I asked, my mind beginning to think over what could have possibly caused this. _"Because if they did…"_

"_As our Energon is processed and before it is burned off, traces of our sparks' energy is trapped within the Energon. My Energon could have been carrying traces of my spark's energy when it…splashed…on you."_

"_So the traces of the energy is like DNA," _I surmised. _"So that makes me…sort of like your daughter…"_

"_I would like to talk to you in person, Mikaela. This conversation is putting a strain on…our…bond."_

After that, Optimus went silent. I took it that he wanted to see me right away, so I ran the rest of the way to the main hanger, and stopped when I made it to the catwalk. "I'm here, Optimus!" I called. It instantly caught the attention of the Autobot leader, and he walked over to me quickly. He glanced over his shoulder as I looked around him and saw that most of the Autobots were in the hanger. So I opened a private comm. channel. ::So, what now?:: I asked.

::You are quite possibly correct about my Energon causing you to transform into a Cybertronian my spark recognises as my daughter. That would explain the reason why we are now connected by a bond. Once my spark recognised you by hearing the ancient words of the Primes, it proceeded to make the bond.::

::So since I know how to speak the language of the Primes, and I am sharing a Father-Daughter bond with you, does that make me a Prime as well?:: I shuttered at the thought.

::Let me look at that symbol you told me about first.::

I stood absolutely still as Optimus activated his holoform and walked up to me. He leaned in close and studied the now-visible symbol on the right side of my head. After a few seconds, he let out a shuttering breath. "It says…'Mikaela Prime'…"

_It says my name?_ I was so shocked by this that my knees felt like they were going to give out on me. I braced myself on the riling as I forced myself to take deep breaths. Optimus deactivated his holoform as I saw Mirage turn and walk over to us.

"Is there something wrong?" my guardian asked me when he noticed how heavily I was leaning on the railing. "You look ill."

I was silent. I looked up at Optimus and sighed. _"Please don't tell anyone that I'm a Prime, please. I don't want to be stared at,"_ I told Optimus over the bond. I glanced over at Mirage who was watching our silent exchange with a puzzled look on his faceplates. _"But…maybe you should tell Mirage…"_

Optimus nodded and invited me to the private comm. channel that he quickly opened between him and his most trusted spy. I listened to them greet each other as I sat down on the catwalk, brought my knees up to my chin before I wrapped my arms around my legs. I watched the two mechs as I listened into their conversation.

::Mirage…I have some strange news that I find you should only hear…:: Optimus began slowly.

After a few moments of silence, Mirage said, ::What is it, Prime?::

::I have just made a startling discovery concerning your charge,:: Optimus said quickly.

There was a pause. ::What sort of discovery?:: Mirage asked.

_Oh boy…this was going to be hard to explain…_ I thought with a sigh.

::In the battle of Calgary…I had been wounded while trying to protect your charge. It was my fault that she is now Cybertronian,:: Optimus explained.

Mirage seemed to be slightly put off by this. ::Is that what you wanted to talk to me privately about?::

::Mirage, let him finish,:: I said sternly. The effect of my words was immediate. Mirage stopped the words that were going to spring from his voicebox, before he lowered his head slightly and took a step backwards. Optimus seemed a little surprised by this.

Optimus sighed after he seemed to think about Mirage's reaction for a few seconds. ::But the transformation is not all of what my Energon did to her, Mirage,:: he said. Mirage looked up into Optimus' face and saw the stern look he was giving him. ::It made her a Prime.::

Mirage's entire frame tensed at this. He glanced at me once with wide optics before he tipped over backwards and crashed to the ground, his processors obviously crashed. I looked down at him now stretched out on the floor before I comm. linked Ratchet. ::Ratchet, Mirage just passed out…::

* * *

I sighed as I sat down at the human-sized table in the rec room. I was tired after this long and strenuous day of surprises and revelations. Now all I wanted to do was sleep…or recharge. I moaned as I rested my crossed arms on the table before I buried my head in them. I stayed like that as I listened to the emptiness of the rec room since none of the 'Bots were in the room. But it didn't stay that way, because I heard the human sized door open and then close. I didn't move when I heard someone walk over to the table and set something down on it. I still didn't move as I heard the footsteps retreat and heard the human door open and close once more. I only moved when I listened for a few moments and heard nothing by silence.

Sitting up, the first thing I saw was a large suitcase sitting on the table in front of me. Stuck to it was a white Post-It note, and on that there were the words "Open me" scrawled in blue ink. With a sigh, I realized that someone was playing some kind of Alice in Wonderland game with me, so I shrugged and undid the clasps that held the suitcase tightly shut. I quickly opened it and found a single card resting in the foam next to a blue cube of Energon. Stuck to the cube of Energon was another Post-It note. "Care to have a drink and a talk with me? —Simmons."

I chuckled while I shook my head. I had been wondering what had happened to the guy. I hadn't seen him at all during the whole time I was here. So now he wanted to sit down with me and have a conversation over coffee? Understandable. I got up from the table, grabbed the cube of Energon and the card, and left the rec room. I jogged down the hall and to the main hanger, but before I entered, I stopped at the sound of shouting. I subspaced the card and the Energon cube, before I casually walked into the main hanger.

It was total chaos. While the Autobots that were currently in the hanger stood off to the side, smack-dab in the middle of the room was a cluster of human soldiers that fought to keep someone at bay. I stepped a little bit closer before I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. I looked over my shoulder and saw that it was Jazz. He had a worried look on his faceplates. When he didn't say anything, I knew that this was bad.

"Let go of me!" someone suddenly cried. "I know you have my daughter! I KNOW YOU DO!"

My spark stalled. I recognised that voice.

"Mikaela! MIKAELA!"

I felt like I was going to break into hysterics. Suddenly, the noise caused by the men trying to restrain the intruder was too much…

"QUIET!" I screamed.

Abruptly, all noise ceased. The intruder wrestled himself from the grips of the soldiers and emerged from the crowd of them. I looked at him and pressed my lips into a thin line. It was _him_.

"What the heck is going on?" came Simmons' voice from the catwalk behind me.

It was _him_. How could he have possibly found me? He walked up to me and wrapped his arms around me. "D-Dad? W-what?" I gasped.

"Mikaela…thank goodness I found you…" he breathed. I wanted to struggle from his embrace, to run to Optimus, who stood off to the side, and have him pick me up. This man had sent me off to jail after jumping to conclusions! Now he was acting as if I had been kidnapped! "We were so worried and afraid when they told us you didn't arrive at the police station…"

"And you know the reason why, fleshling?" Ironhide growled. Dad looked up at him as he let go of me and gawked at the Weapons Specialist.

"The police officah who ya so comfortably entrusted yah daughtah ta," Jazz cut in, drawing Dad's attention to him, "was the Decepticon Barricade." The almost angry look on Jazz's face showed how angry he was. "Ya basically fed her ta the wolves!"

"I-I realize the m-mistake..." Dad stuttered. "But really, how could I have known?"

"You could have looked at the cruiser, Dad. You would have seen it as clear as day that it didn't say 'To serve and protect', but instead said 'To punish and enslave'," I said coldly.

Dad glared at me. I closed my mouth and looked down. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lennox walk up beside Dad. His uniform was disheveled, showing that he had been in the "brawl". "Sir, I will have to ask you to step away from Private Cody," he said quietly. Dad started at the words "Private Cody" before he looked sharply at Lennox and then glanced at me. I could see the shock in his eyes.

"_Private_...Cody...?" he breathed. I hung my head before I nodded.

I felt fingers wrap around my wrist, and I looked up sharply. Dad had grabbed my arm...

"I'm taking my daughter home," Dad announced. "If you object, I'll sue...this place...for obstruction."

My spark stalled before I burst into tears. No! He can't take me! I struggled against him as he began to lead me away. But Dad's iron grip was too strong for me. I looked pleadingly back at Jazz since Mirage was still in the med bay. Jazz simply looked at me with a sad and defeated look on his faceplates.

But I knew one thing.

When Mirage found out that I was gone...

...everyone had better stand back.


	27. Back in Alberta

**Hmm…not sure what to call this chapter. Could be a filler chapter… But anyway, here it is. One of my reviewers asked how many more chapters I'm gonna write for this fic. My answer: no idea. Many, many, **_**many**_** ideas are fluttering round in my head, bugging me. But I want to keep this fic following the plot. I believe that once there are thirty chapters that belong to this fic, there won't be many more. Though, the location of Sam will be revealed. Ends will meet. And this whole story will end beautifully—I hope.**

**Thanks **_SJSGirl, ZabuzasGirl, MusicalPrime, KnockOut'sFanGirl221, Iceshadow911247, Californiagirl26, Silverstorm13, Naughtia, Kaitlyn Thorne, EyeOfMoonDancer, _**and**_ optimus prime101_** for reviewing! I loved your reactions to Twister's father's appearance! It shows how much you care. :D**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Back in Alberta**

Jazz sighed as he watched Twister get helped into her father's white Ford F-350 pickup truck. He glared from behind his visor as the man closed the passenger-side door before he rushed around to the driver's side and got in. He continued to watch from where he was perched on the roof of the hanger as the truck was started up and drove away. It was going at such a fast pace, you could tell that the man wanted to get out of there—_with_ Twister. Jazz wasn't a grumpy mech or one to get angry often, but when his friends were tampered with, in any way, he was not a happy camper.

He also knew that Mirage wasn't going to be the calmest mech on the base once he onlined. He would be very angry…might even become feral once he found out that she had been taken. Jazz allowed an involuntary shudder to wrack his frame at the thought. An out of control Mirage was not a pleasant thought. The saboteur just prayed to Primus that they wouldn't have a blinded by anger spy who could turn himself invisible and project holograms running around.

* * *

Mirage onlined slowly before he onlined his optics. With a groan, he realized that he was lying on a berth in the med bay. How did he get there? What had he been doing before he suddenly ended up here? He blinked a few times before he looked around. He had been talking to Optimus and Mikaela…he must have blacked out and Ratchet found that it would be appropriate to have him be in the med bay until he onlined. He took in every detail of the med bay before he realized that something was missing. Where was Mikaela?

Bumblebee walked into the med bay and chirped when he saw that Mirage was awake. _"How are you feeling?"_ the scout asked.

Mirage blinked at the question. "Fine…" he slowly got off of the berth and walked over to the door of the med bay. He stopped and looked back at Bumblebee. "What happened?" he asked.

Bumblebee shrugged. "_Falling through the sky…"_ Bumblebee sang vaguely. Mirage cocked an eyebrow at this. _"So we crashed the gate…"_

"Are you saying that my processor crashed and I fell over?"

Bumblebee nodded.

Mirage huffed. "You could have said that in your own voice, Bumblebee. It would have been a lot easier."

Bumblebee chuckled.

The Italian Autobot studied the scout for a few seconds before he asked, "Do you know where Twister is?"

At the mention of his charge/courted, Bumblebee's happy demeanor vanished. His little 'antennae' drooped, as did his doorwings. This reaction caused Mirage's spark to sink. _"Her father came…and took her…away. It was like he said…stay away from Juliet…"_

Ignoring Bumblebee's strange ending of the explanation, Mirage began to internally panic. His spark felt like it was jumping around in his chest, and it was very uncomfortable. He quickly turned from Bumblebee and ran from the med bay. He ran down the hall, leaping over clusters of human soldiers, as he made his way into the main hanger. He came to a half by the door as he looked around wildly hoping it was just some sort of prank Bumblebee was playing on him.

When Optimus Prime walked into the room, Mirage was standing before him in under a second. Mirage found panic racing through his systems and threatened to show itself in his facial expression. "Optimus, where's Mikaela?" he asked finding that panic was beginning to seep into his voice. "W-was Bumblebee—?"

Optimus' facial expression didn't change, but the way Optimus shifted his stance slightly told Mirage that he was upset. "Bumblebee was right," the Prime said. "About two hours ago, Twister's father came in dressed in military attire. He blended in perfectly until he started to demand that we hand over Twister. There was a fight. Twister must have been drawn into the main hanger by the noise, because she appeared in the hanger and stopped the fighting. After that, her father threatened to sue NEST if any of us tried to stop him."

"Ah have nevah wanted ta shoot somethin' so bad mah entire life!" Jazz proclaimed, having joined their conversation somewhere halfway through.

"Though, if you had shot her father, Jazz, I think you would have upset her very much," Mirage stated as he crossed his arms. "Though I want to, as the humans say, give the human a piece of my mind."

Optimus sighed. "I believe that none of us should approach Twister's home. It is too risky. NEST doesn't need half of their monetary reserves drained because of our foolishness. When Twister deems it the correct time to return, she will return. Nothing is holding her back if she decides to escape her father and make her way back here."

Mirage snorted. "I think otherwise," he said. "Something tells me that she will not want to alarm her parent, so she will remain in her human form." And with that he turn, ran towards the half opened hanger door, transformed, and drove out of the hanger.

"Are ya thinkin' what Ah'm thinkin'?" Jazz asked.

"Quite possibly," the Prime stated. "Mirage is not going to follow orders."

* * *

I sighed as I stood in the parking-lot of a truck stop. I glanced at my father as he rummaged around in the bed of his truck, looking for something. I was unnerved. I felt more out of my element here, at the truck stop, than I would ever be on a battlefield. That was the thing that irked me. I was actually a fifteen foot tall metal alien warrior, and no longer human. I was human on the outside, but not on the inside.

That reminded me of something important… I didn't want to tell my family about what I was now at this moment. I wanted to look like I was human in front of them. It was not like they would be afraid or call me a freak, it's just… I couldn't eat human food, could I? I'd need to get in contact with Ratchet right away. I wouldn't be able to survive on one Energon cube for however long I was going to allow myself to stay at my old home.

::Ratchet? Come in, Ratchet!:: I comm'ed urgently.

There was a minute or so of silence as I waited. I glanced over my shoulder, confidently knowing that my communicator could reach the medic, as I studied the fast food joints that I had a feeling Dad was going to lead me into. Another minute or so passed before Ratchet answered. ::Twister? Are you alright?:: he asked.

::I'm fine,:: I said as I watched Dad pull a couple of foldable beach chairs out of the back of the truck. ::I have a question though.::

Ratchet sighed. ::Alright, what is it?::

::Dad's parked outside of a McDonalds, a Wendy's, a Tim Horton's, and a KFC. Those are all fast food restaurants. Dad'll expect me to eat—but I'm not human! And he'd never believe me if I told him I wasn't! We've just passed onto the Canadian side of the Canadian/American border. If I transform, I might make the government unhappy.::

::That's true,:: the medic said. ::Even though Canada allows us Cybertronians to work on getting rid of Decepticons that might have just landed on their soil, they still are a bit resistant on having us mingle with people in the city—if we happen to have to dodge a jaywalker or the like. Simmons and the head of NEST are still working out negotiations. And they said Canada was a _polite_ country…::

I wondered why Simmons would be trying to help NEST make Canada a little bit nicer towards the Cybertronians. I could understand their hesitancy with them (I think it might have something to do with Mudflap taking off the needle on the top of the CN Tower when he came to Earth with Skids). ::So what about my dilemma of not being able to eat…?:: I prompted.

::Oh, right, sorry about that. About the food… Well I have been going over your scans, and it seems that, because you used to be human, your body adapted and your "stomach" might just be able to handle the food. I have a hypothesis that after you've eaten, the food will dissolve in the Energon already in your "stomach". It will probably act as an alternative fuel source.::

I grinned. ::Thanks, Ratchet, it means a lot!:: and with that, I cut the connection.

Dad set up the seats in the shade the truck created as I walked over to him. I sat down in one of the seats as Dad asked me what I would like for breakfast. We had been driving for so long that I had already been away from the Autobots for over twelve hours. I told Dad that I would like a sausage McGriddle with apple juice before I watched him run over to the McDonalds. I sat back in the seat with a sigh before I aimlessly began to wonder what the Autobots could be up to at this moment, and how I now seemed to have two dads. I might even have two mothers because I think Elita-1 is bonded to Optimus…

Wow, my mind could wander.

And…I was now a Prime. Would I have to lead if something happened to Optimus? Probably, because my "grandfather", Sentinel Prime, was dead. I seemed to have problems with grandfathers…one was crazy down in New Zealand, one was dead because his plane crashed, and the other one was dead because he turned on the Autobots and tried to help Megatron take over the world and enslave the human race. Yep, one crazy family history it seemed.

I realized just how random my thinking was as I noticed Dad walking back from the McDonalds. When he got over to me, he handed me my food and my drink before he sat down in his seat. I opened my small McDonalds bag and pulled out the hash-brown first. I began to eat it, taking care to chew every bite so I could give the Energon in my stomach some help. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my father looking at me as he ate.

"Do you know how much your mother has missed you?" Dad asked before he took a bite of his McGriddle.

I thought for a few seconds before I answered. "I…would never know," I replied slowly. "She…" I looked down and studied my breakfast. "She…just loves me too much."

"You've got that right," Dad said with a nod.

Silence descended on us once more as we ate our McGriddles. I finished mine and began to drink my apple juice as Dad stopped eating and asked me another question. "What did they do to you down there?" he asked.

"Nothing," I said in a calm voice. "The men were polite…"

"But they made you a soldier! How did you allow them to do that to you? I thought you never ever wanted to be a soldier. What happened to the dreams of being a writer?"

His questions were beginning to tick me off, but Ironhide's persistent voice from the training reminded me to keep a straight face. I turned and gave my father my whole attention. "Yes, they made me a soldier, even though I really didn't have any say in the matter. General Morshower just called me in and told me that they needed soldiers and that he decided to make me one, even though I was just a civilian." I didn't mention that the reason why I was made a soldier was because of Sam Witwicky. "My dreams are still there. I just haven't had time lately to use them."

"I…see…" my father said slowly. He looked away from me for a moment. "At least you're away from those metal beasts. Your mother and I knew you were obsessing over them too much, but this has gone a little too far."

* * *

After almost another full day of driving, I was back at home, in a familiarity that made me want to cry. Here was where I had lived before I had been accused of Grand Theft Auto. Just by being here I could remember the incident clearly. Now I was sitting on my bed, in my room above the garage. I was happy that my parents hadn't touched anything in here, but as I looked at all my stuff, I found that none of it comforted me. My home was on the NEST base now. This would never be my home ever again.

I wanted to cry, but I didn't allow myself to. I was a warrior, and warriors don't cry because they're homesick. _Though, I am a young warrior,_ I thought. _I don't think I've really fought yet even._ With a shuddering breath, I realized that I might not have any chance of fighting off any Decepticons if they came for me while I was here. Sure I trained with Ironhide, but would I really be able to take someone on like, say, Barricade? I'd be able to take them by surprise with my sniper rifle, yes, but I didn't have any special abilities to help me out. I was a Prime, for crying out loud! Why do I feel so unsure about myself?

I'm a soldier now. I didn't need to worry about anything.

But I sure missed Mirage.

* * *

**Song's used by Bumblebee in this chapter. Kinda confusing, I know.**

**"_Falling through the sky..._" - "Sky Diver" by Owl City**

**"_So we crashed the gate..._" - "Convoy" by Paul Brandt**

**"_stay away from Juliet..._" - "Love Story" by Taylor Swift**


	28. Explosions and Roses

**So here's another chapter! So soon too. Don't worry, action will pick up in the next chapter, I promise. I really enjoyed writing part of this chapter though, because I wasn't feeling all that well, yesterday. I've got a cold now, because of it. So expect explosions… And thank you Trapezodial for telling me that Mikaela was almost turned into a Mary-Sue. I'll try to pull her away from that title.**

**Thanks **_SJSGirl, CalicoKat35, KnockOut'sFanGirl221, Naughtia, Trapezodial, _**and**_ Kaitlyn Thorne_** for reviewing!**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Explosions and Roses**

A lot more had changed since I had been gone. I didn't realize this until I had gotten a good sleep, had something to eat, and remembered that I had a horse named Star. Without telling anyone, I went outside and walked down to the pasture, while systematically changing the pajamas I was wearing on the my human form to a pair of jeans, a grey t-shirt hidden under a white, baggy, Boca sweater, and a pair of cowboy boots. The feature of being able to change my clothing without stepping into my closet or showing anything inappropriate was a miracle that I had discovered not long after I had transformed into a Cybertronian.

At Star's pasture, I stepped up onto the first rung of the white metal gate and leaned out over it. I gazed around the pasture, expecting to see Star laying down, or coming out of the trees in order to come galloping towards me. I waited for her to appear, since I couldn't see her laying down anywhere, but when she didn't appear, I became worried. The only occupant of the pasture that I could see was a strange unknown foal with a short dark grey mane and tail and mouse grey fur. The small heart shaped star on its forehead was adorable, but I couldn't focus on it. Where was Star?

I hopped over the gate and rushed into the pasture. I searched along the fence for my horse before I searched through the trees and then gazed out on the clear part of the pasture.

When I found that there was no sign of Star anywhere, I let out a sob. This was the only pasture my family had because of all the trees. If she wasn't here, then… I glanced over at the large maple tree that dominated the center of the pasture, before I spotted a block of polished rock sitting at the base of the tree. A cry of anguish escaped my voice box before I suddenly found myself running over to the tree. Absently, my sensors told me that the foal was following me. I slid to a stop as I came up to the stone, and let out a wail as I read the words engraved on it. "R.I.P. Our beloved Star who gave such joy in the years we had her. Died: August 10th 2012…" I read slowly. She had died when I was gone? How? Her knee had been doing so well when I had to leave. Did her knee give out because she slipped or something?

I dissolved into sobs and lay down on my side. I curled in on myself on the slightly damp grass in the shade of the tree, trying to console myself. My spark seemed to flux in a way that made me calm slightly. I managed to block the tears back as I stretched out beside the grave and took a deep breath. I would be okay with this. It was just not a very welcome welcome-home surprise.

After a few moments, I felt Optimus nudge me with our bond. _"What is troubling you so?"_

I sighed, feeling a processorache coming on because of the crying I did. _"I've just found out that my horse died while I was on the NEST base. You know what a horse is, do you?"_

"_I do. It is known that many horses share a special relationship with their riders. Did you and your horse share a relationship like this?"_

"_Yes,"_ I said. _"But I just wished that my parents would have mentioned it to me. I feel so horrible for fleeing now…"_

* * *

Later that day I took my family's piece of crap van and drove it towards Oilfield. I needed to get away from my overbearing parents and have some time to myself. They wouldn't let me do anything, and I was frustrated. Their excuse for not telling me about Star was that they were afraid that it would drive me into insanity. I snorted, what a lie.

The gravel road that lead out onto the highway was long and rough, but I managed to pilot the bucket of bolts onto the highway, and quickly pushed down on the accelerator in order to quickly get the van up to a hundred kilometers an hour. I sighed and turned on the radio in hopes that it would help me relax. The Eagle decided that they would put a Linkin Park marathon on, and I listened to it play "Iridescent". That didn't really lift my mood. With a sigh, I turned off the radio and listened to the engine of the van as it worked to move this piece of scrap metal. It sounded like it was suffering.

Suddenly, there was a hiss, and then a loud _bang_ as the front left tire popped and I lost control of the vehicle. I screamed as I tried to regain control, but failed. I watched with wide eyes as the van swerved around once in a 360 before it plunged off of the highway and down the gulley that separated the highway from the farms that lined it. I continued to scream as the van rolled down into the gulley. I was thrown around even though I was strapped in with the seatbelt. Then the seatbelt snapped.

My voicebox was on the verge of sparking as I found myself flying from the van as it continued to roll before it plunged off of a small cliff and into the entrance of the railroad tunnel that ran underneath the ground I was laying on. The _crunch_ it made when it impacted with the tracks made me shiver. I got to my feet and walked over to the gap in the fence the van created when it went through it, and looked down onto the van and the tracks. I let out a sob, realized that I could have been in there. And if I had been human, I would have been laying on the ground, unconscious.

I looked at the van, wondering absentmindedly what my parents were going to say when they found out, and wondered what they were going to do with the van period.

The latter question was answered with the sound of a very loud blast from a freight train's horn. With a gasp, I watched as a freight train came charging out of the tunnel before it tore through the van. I ran and dove into the ground, shielding my face as the van exploded. I cried out in pure fear as I heard the train derail with a terrible mix of screaming metal, chugging, the tingling of a bell, the constant wail of the horn, and a large crash that made me cringe.

The crash was followed by several more crashes and the screams of metal on metal before everything went silent with a hiss. I laid there for several seconds before I dared to climb to my feet.

Once on my feet, I rushed over to where I had been standing before the train collided with the van, and whimpered when I saw the damage I had done. The train had to be pulling more than sixty trucks full of grain. Some had spilled out when a couple of the trucks had broken open. The engine was lying on its side on the left side of the trucks. I had done all of this? Because one tire blew?

I quickly lifted my hand up to my right ear where I activated my communicator and dialed 911. It was funny how a Cybertronian could phone phones with their communicators. But this was no laughing matter. When the person on the other end picked up, I instantly began to explain what had happened. The person on the other end thought this was a prank call, but after a long argument, I managed to convince her to send out some response teams.

As I waited for them to come, I rushed down to where the accident was, hopping a guardrail in the process. I ran over to the engine and climbed onto it.

When I was standing precariously on the side of the engine facing the sky, I carefully walked over to the windows, got down onto my knees, and peeked down into the now dormant machine. I could see the figures of two men lying prone on the side of the engine that was now buried in the ground. I quickly scanned them, and let out a relieved sigh when my scans told me that they were alive. I glanced up at the road, knowing that I was still thirty minutes from town. Help wouldn't be here for a while and I was worried about the men. Ugh! Why couldn't have life stayed out of the way just this once? I'm Ratchet's medical apprentice, but I have been unable to learn anything medical!

I quickly transformed up into my robot form and unsheathed my wristblades with a quiet _shing_. I then quickly began to use them to cut off the roof of the engine so that the response teams could reach the insides of the engine. I was so glad it didn't threaten to explode. I quickly had the roof off, and I carefully reached in and took the men out, carefully and gently before I walked around the front of the engine and carefully set them down on the ground on the opposite side of the tracks. I laid them down on their backs and made sure they were comfortable. But before I could go and transform into my human form, one of the men cracked open his eyes. I froze, hoping that he would close them again, but when he didn't, I shuttered.

"Who…who are you…?" the man asked shakily. He was looking right at me with a pair of tired brown eyes.

I knelt down and put a smile on my face that I hoped wouldn't scare him. "I'm who pulled you and your friend from the wreck."

The man only moaned as he tried to move. "Careful," I said. "You're probably sore. Help is on the way." As if on cue, the sound of sirens reached my audios. I slowly got to my pedes and looked up at the highway as a police cruiser, a fire chief's SUV, three fire trucks, an ambulance, and various other rescue vehicles appeared and parked on the side of the road. I looked down at the man then back at the rescue teams before I carefully stepped over the men and ran up onto the road. There, I transformed down into my alt-mode and pulled out onto the highway, going the posted speed limit at a hundred kilometers an hour.

How the heck was I going to be able to explain this to my parents?

* * *

Kris Cody was absolutely furious with his daughter. He took so many days off in order to search for her—which meant that he didn't get paid by his boss, and what she do? She goes and totals the van! His wife's only vehicle when he's off at work! That's the thank you he gets? It sure looks like it.

Mikaela had apologised as much as she could, but he couldn't believe her. First the Ferrari—which he had forgiven her about now—and now the van. The van was gone (though he wondered how she managed to survive the crash)! He was just fuming now. He knew he was going to get over it by tomorrow. He'd probably be able to use the money from the insurance in order to buy his wife a new car.

_She was just probably stewing over Star's death. She was probably just not paying attention,_ he figured.

For some time after Mikaela had disappeared and he had paused in his search for her he had wanted to do something to the barn that he found the Ferrari in. Though he was still puzzled about where the Ferrari went after Mikaela had disappeared…

Kris walked to the back of the property and approached the barn. Maybe it should become his workshop…it was definantly big enough to be one. He walked confidently up to the two doors, that were big enough to allow him to drive a tractor into the barn, and pulled them open. He didn't get them open very far before he let go of them and stumbled back in surprise. He let out a cry of disbelief at the sight of what was inside. He could not believe it.

It was the Ferrari. He wasn't going crazy about it. It was in the barn. It was _there_. It was the same colour, the same model, and it looked like nothing had ever touched it. But…but…_how_?

Kris slowly walked up to the car and examined it once he was close enough to it. It looked almost pristine in the moonlight that shone down from behind him. But it was also like a phantom, having come back after Mikaela come back home. It was weird.

"Huh," he muttered while stroking his moustache. "Where _did_ you come from?"

"I would ask you the same thing," a deep voice heavily laced with an Italian accent suddenly said from the darkness, causing Kris to jump in surprise.

The man looked around wildly as the deep voice chuckled. "Wh-who's there?" Kris called. This was very confusing and very frightening. There was no sign of anyone, but it was so dark out so he could be wrong. "Come out so I can see you!" There was another chuckle, causing Kris to freeze. Kris turned around three hundred and sixty degrees in hopes of finding the source of the voice.

"Why, I'm right here," the voice said.

Kris realized that the voice originated from within the barn and turned towards it. He stared into the barn for a minute before his gave slowly fell back onto the Ferrari. "I don't see you."

"Yes you do," the voice said with a slight teasing tone to it. The Ferrari's headlights suddenly switched on and the engine revved. Kris' heart jumped up into his throat as the expensive sports car slowly rolled forward a few feet, allowing moonlight to shine into the car. Kris tried to gulp down the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. There was no one in the car. He took a few steps back in nervousness as the car inched out a bit more. "You see me. _I'm. Right. Here_." The voice was bit louder, and it drew the man to look down at the car's hood.

"Oh no! You're an Autobot, aren't you?!" Kris exclaimed, his New Zealand accent thickening in his shock. He took a couple more steps back, his posture now rigid from fear. _They're not happy I took Mikaela…_

"Indeed, I am," the Ferrari said before a seam in the metal suddenly appeared down the middle of the hood and the roof of the car. Kris watched with wide eyes as they slid apart before the whole car just exploded into a mass of wires and pieces of car-frame. Kris stumbled back and landed on his butt as he watched the mass suddenly formed two arms and two legs before the wires formed a tall, lean figure as the pieces of car frame clicked and slid into place, forming some kind of armor. Last but not least, a head appeared on the shoulders of what used to be the Ferrari and a pair of vivid blue 'eyes' turned on and glared down at him.

Kris was not willing to mention that, later, he would become paranoid of all cars that were coloured Ferrari Red.

The Ferrari crouched down in front of the cowering man and scrutinized him with those 'eyes' of his. "I'm not pleased with what you did, Mr. Cody," the Autobot said. "We need Mikaela to help us search for the Witwicky boy. Never has NEST needed more soldiers then they have needed them now. And you took her from me while I was locked in stasis. I'm her guardian!"

The anger that Kris could see boiling behind the Ferrari's optics was scary. The Autobot looked like he wanted to destroy something. "Y-you're my daughter's guardian…? Like Bumblebee—?"

The Ferrari nodded. "Like Bumblebee is the Witwicky boy's guardian, yes." The Autobot stared at him until Kris began to feel uncomfortable. More uncomfortable than he had been feeling before. "You will allow me to see her, correct?" his voice was slightly softer, shocking the man. "If…you ask her if she misses the Autobots, I am sure that she will tell you the truth."

Kris was stunned. It sounded like the Ferrari really cared about Mikaela…and it slightly disturbed him. "Uh…sure," he managed to say.

* * *

The next morning, I woke up to hear someone knocking on the front door of the mobile home. I quickly got up and rushed down in only my pajamas in order to get the guy at the front door to stop bothering my parents. But when I got to the front door, where the guy was standing, I stopped. I examined him quickly; surprised when I found that he was holding a bouquet of blue roses and that he was a delivery boy. The boy turned to me as the front door opened. "Are you Ms. Cody?" he asked with a pleasant smile.

Hesitantly, I nodded.

His smile widened slightly before he handed me the bouquet. "For you," he said before he handed me a small card. "Have a nice day," the boy said before he walked back to his car, got in, and drove away.

In a slight daze, I looked down at the roses, and then at the card that came with them. "What is it, honey?" Mom asked me as I slowly walked inside. I walked into the living room as she asked, "Who're the flowers from?" I sat down on the couch, gently put the flowers on the coffee table, and read what had been written on the card.

_Ferraris are sometimes red  
__Roses are sometimes blue  
__Brownies are always sweet  
__Just like you_

A blush made itself known on my cheeks as I went and read the small poem to my parents. I couldn't believe how much meaning the poem held. It held so much love in it, and it was all pointed at me. I sighed with happiness before Mom asked me the most obvious question.

"Who's it from?"

I looked down at the name under the poem, and my cheeks reddened even more. There was also a small sentence before the name, so I decided to read it out loud. "I'm glad to be able to see you again. Dino," I read.

"Who's Dino?" Mom asked.

I blinked. "That cheeky moron," I chuckled. "That cheeky, cheeky, cheeky moron!"

"Blimey…!" Dad said woozily before he toppled over and hit the ground with a hollow thud. I looked over the back of the couch and down at him with wide eyes.

"Dad…?"


	29. The Secret's Out

**Some MiragexTwister fluff in this chapter :3 I'm sorry it took this long to get another chapter out. Too much school! I'm drowning in it!**

**I hope you guys like this chapter. For some reason, it feels like a filler to me even though I know it isn't. It takes a major step towards the climax of the story. Anyone want a Cybercat plush?**

**Thanks **_SJSGirl, Trapezodial, Kaitlyn Thorne, Naughtia, KnockOut'sFanGirl221, _**and**_ Autobot StarRacer_** for reviewing!**

**(P.S. I'm writing a short side story for this fic called "To Serve and Protect" starring Annabelle Lennox and Barricade. It serves to explain something that happens during the climax of this story. Please read if you have the time. School's a killer.)**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Secret's Out**

I felt like I was flying after I realized that Mirage was nearby. His poem was so sweet. It came from the heart…spark…of a true Prince Charming. I was thinking about Mirage even as I waved goodbye to my parents as Mom drove Dad to the hospital. Mom was scared something caused him to pass out. I just had a feeling that Dad knew more about the roses than I thought. I wouldn't put it past him.

But that didn't matter! Mirage was somewhere nearby and I would be able to see him sometime soon! I just had to figure out where he was. He could be anywhere. I'd just have to look for him. Or better yet, I could just comm. him. That would be a lot easier and a lot less time consuming. But I had calm myself down a little before I called him or I would sound like some deranged fangirl instead of his courted. After pacing the length of the porch a few times while taking a few deep breaths, I was finally calmed down enough in order to comm. my courter. 'My courter', gee, that sounded so romantic. Now I realized why I read so many fanfictions under the 'Romance' category.

::_Dino~_,:: I comm'ed jokingly. ::Where are you~?::

There was a short silence before I got a reply. ::I'm in 'my barn',:: he said.

I felt relieved to hear that Italian accented voice. It caused my spark to beat faster as I took off towards the barn he mentioned as fast as my legs would allow me. I dodged trees and jumped over logs as I made my way to the barn where my guardian/courter was waiting. I came to a stop when I reached the small clearing the barn was in, before I slowly walked forward and grinned at the red Ferrari sitting in the doorway of the barn, between both of the barn's open doors. Mirage transformed up into his bipedal form before he crouched down and picked me up. I let out a little squeal of happiness before he gently pressed me up against his chest in a version of a hug.

I blushed as Mirage set me down on the ground after our hug. But then I looked up at him as seriously as I could even though my mirth was still shown on my face. "How did you do it? What did you do to make Dad freak out?"

Mirage looked away for a second with a small sigh. But then he focused on me. I didn't blink. "I confronted him. He knows that I…love you…but I didn't tell him what happened to you. He's the one who told me that you like blue roses. But I'm not sure that he'd allow you to leave the property. He…ran before I could get that out of him."

I burst out laughing, the image of my father running from Mirage with a terrified look on his face making me laugh. "N-no one has been a-able to do that!" I exclaimed through my giggles. It was true. My father rarely ran from anything seriously, and rarely did he ever show any emotion on his face. And Mirage had come along and scared him. When I managed to calm down, I grinned and gave him a thumbs up. "Good job," I chuckled, leaving the Ferrari confused.

We stood in that clearing, talking, for what seemed like forever. Mirage updated me on what was happening down at the Nevada base. I was surprised to hear Jazz was not taking this too well and that he was walking around with a constant frown on his face. The human soldiers were giving him a wide berth. This news unsettled me, since Jazz was usually a happy mech. Nothing could bring him down. I would have to talk to him once I got back to base.

* * *

"If Jazz doesn't perk up soon, I think Ratchet'll drag him into the med bay," Lennox remarked as he and Epps stared at the small silver mech who was crouched hunched over in the corner next to the catwalk, sulking. Lennox didn't like the way how the usually carefree mech looked so tense. He was afraid if someone managed to tick off Jazz, he would attack something.

"And all of this because Twister's dad came and took her?" Epps added, cocking an eyebrow.

Lennox turned his head and looked at him. "It has been a rollercoaster for us. First Twister is kidnapped by Megatron. They rescue her, but then we think she dies. She comes back, but as a femme, but then is nearly captured by Megatron again. She gets back to the base, but not long after, her father comes and takes her away, threatening to sue us if we try to stop him." He shrugged. "Now the Autobots feel useless. I just hope Twister realizes that she has the ability to leave her family and come back ho—here." Lennox winced when he nearly said 'home'.

Epps sighed and looked down slightly as he heard Jazz shift slightly. "That girl's got the guts to face a Decepticon, but does she have the guts to face her parents?" he looked at Lennox. "From the way she speaks to everyone, she views everyone with high respect…but does she respect her parents so much that she'd be afraid to say 'no' to them?"

Lennox shrugged. "If she can say no to Megatron, what do you think?"

Epps answered that question with only a shrug. "Dunno…" he said with a sigh. "I'm gonna talk to Jazz. He hasn't had any Energon lately," he said before he walked up to the mech. "Hey, Jazz, why don't you grab an cube of Energon and we have a talk, alright?" Lennox watched as Jazz began to refuse, but Epps stopped him and urged him to ("…after all, I'm gonna have some coffee," he said). After a few seconds of hesitation, Jazz got to his pedes and followed Epps to the cafeteria.

Lennox shook his head with a sigh before he walked back to his office. His men needed to pull themselves back together because they had found where Sam was and they were going to move in to rescue him. There was no more waiting.

* * *

Mom and Dad soon returned home. Mom was calm since she had found out that Dad was just fine. I was glad too, and I just grinned knowingly at my father before I glanced back at where Mirage was hiding among the trees. I quickly looked back at Mom and Dad as Mom locked Dad's truck and they began to walk to the house. I was full of energy because I wasn't so far away from Mirage now, so I was bouncing up and down as I followed them. My parents looked at my odd behaviour with raised eye brows. "Did you sneak chocolate or something while we were gone?" Mom asked me as she went to open the door.

I shook my head, still grinning. "Nope!" I chirped.

"Then why are you so…energetic?"

"Oh…I'm just thrilled that someone other than a family member loves me," I sighed wistfully.

Dad huffed. "I'll have to meet this boy in order to figure out if he's the one for you," he grumbled.

"Whatever you say, Dad," I said with a shrug.

The conversation came to a close after that. Mom turned and went to enter the house, but the sound of falling trees and massive footsteps drew our attention back into the yard. At first, I thought it was only Mirage, finally deciding to reveal himself. But I was wrong. I froze as the massive figure of Starscream as he revealed himself. He came crashing through the trees before he stopped and looked down at me with his evil red optics.

"No…" I whispered with horror.

"Well, well, well, look who I found," Starscream said, chuckling. I took a step back, my eyes widening.

Mirage leapt from the trees with a roar and collided with Starscream. "MIRAGE!" I screamed before I whirled on my parents. I was going into battle mode. I couldn't resist it. Thinking quickly, I pulled the gun I used in my human form from my subspace and tossed it at my father. He caught it with a shocked look on his face. "Aim for Starscream's eyes," I ordered before I turned and ran a few feet from them and transformed up into my robot form. I glanced back down at my parents and noticed the really shocked looks on their faces. Dad looked like he was going to topple over from shock again. "Do it!" I commanded sharply before I turned to look at Starscream. With an angry growl, I unsheathed my wristblades as I rushed at the seeker. Mentally, I comm'ed Optimus. ::Sir, we need backup now!::

::Mirage has already contacted me. The Arielbots should be there shortly.::

I cut the connection with a relieved feeling before I focused on the battle and ran in for an attack. Mirage managed to distract the Decepticon SiC for a few seconds, allowing me to zip around behind Starscream. I slashed at the seekers wings, successfully cutting deep scars into them. But then Starscream whirled on me and tackled me to the ground. I cried out as I felt myself land on my left doorwing and crushed it. "Where did you come from, femme?" Starscream snarled. "Are _you_ Megatron's femme?"

Mirage let out a rage-filled cry before he barreled into Starscream, successfully throwing him off of me. I quickly got to my pedes, my left doorwing now hanging limply against my back. For a few seconds I watched as Mirage clung to Starscream's back, literally standing on it as he worked to shove his digits between the cracks in the seeker's armor. The way he managed to dodge every swipe of Starscream's servos was with the style of a 'Bot who used to be a high classed mech.

I was quickly brought out of that reverie by the sound of human gunfire. I looked down at Dad, who was aiming a gun a bit clumsily, but was actually hitting the seeker. I could tell, because Starscream flinched every time he was hit by a bullet. Blinking, I watched as Starscream threw Mirage from his back before I dashed forward and leapt at the seeker. I gripped the edges of the plating on his shoulder before I threw myself up onto his shoulders and clung to him as Starscream began to flail around in attempts to throw me off as well.

It would be silly to say that I wasn't terrified at this moment as I used all of my might in order to keep myself on the Decepticon. Even though all of the training that Ironhide put me through, nothing would have prepared me for an intense combat like this. And the _size_ of the SiC! He was huge, much bigger than Mirage and I. He was taking us both on with ease (well…it looked like ease), and a bad feeling was growing in the pit of my tank. I hoped that backup would be getting here soon…

I reached down and covered Starscream's optics as Mirage rushed at him and brought his left wristblade down on Starscream's cockpit. It shattered with a loud _crack_ing sound, and I winced as the Decepticon screamed loudly and jumped away from Mirage. Mirage followed him, and continued to attack.

Suddenly, Starscream reached up and grabbed my wrists. I gasped as he yanked down on them and literally pulled me off of him. I slammed into the ground and grunted when I landed on my injured doorwing. As I got to my pedes, there was the sound of more human gunfire and I looked over at my dad. I watched with horror as he ran up to Starscream and began to fire at Starscream's optics. Starscream cried out as his right optic shattered.

In retaliation, Starscream stepped forward and attempted to step on Dad. He dodged Starscream's first attempt, and his second, but then tripped shortly afterwards. My optics widened when I saw Starscream knock Mirage away and go in for the killing stomp. With a cry, I shot forward at a speed I didn't know and dove for my father. I wasn't going to lose my father like my mom lost hers. Grandpa died in a plane crash—I didn't want my father to die because of a Decepticon that turned into a plane. I grabbed my father, and quickly moved him out of the path of Starscream's pede. But before I could scramble to my pedes, Starscream kicked me harshly and I was sent flying into some of the trees that surrounded the property. Dad went flying from my servos, by luckily landed in the duck pond.

Slowly, I got up from where I had landed, and looked forlornly at all the trees I had knocked down, but only for a second. After that, I was up and running back to the battle as Mom ran to check up on Dad and see if he was okay. I jumped onto Starscream in attempts to distract him as Mirage tried to land a hit on the evasive seeker. And not too long after I got onto Starscream's back, I was thrown off. I collided with Mirage, and we both went down.

I groaned as I lifted myself onto my elbows and looked up at Starscream. He towered over us with the most malicious smirk I had ever seen resting on his lips. He pointed his gun at Mirage and I felt my optics widen. "Pitiful femme. Now that I have you and that the step of transforming you into a Cybertronian is already complete, it seems that you'll become the lady of the Decepticons sooner than we all thought," he said. His smirk widened slightly as I felt a look of horror cross my faceplates. "Of course, I have to take care of your guardian first…"

"No…" I gasped. Starscream clicked the safety off of his gun. "No!" I cried. Tears began to leak from my optics since I knew I couldn't do anything to stop the Decepticon. He couldn't hurt Mirage though…

My fear and defeat transformed into hate, and my spark thrummed with anger. I leapt to my feet and charged at the seeker, catching him off-guard. But I only got one slash in before Starscream batted me away. I landed heavily next to the house. I watched helplessly as Starscream aimed at Mirage again. I was afraid to look. Any second now…Mirage would be…_gone_…

A new Cybertronian signal suddenly popped up on my HUD, the source coming from the garage. I looked over and gasped in surprise when my cat came running full speed from the garage, a look on her face that said pure determination. Wait…cats don't show emotion on their face like humans do! I watched in shock as Pebbles suddenly increased in size as her body transformed from fluffy black and brown to sleek black metal with glowing green accents and matching optics. I watched as she charged at Starscream with a determined growl and leapt at his face.

I could only blink as Starscream struggled to get my cat off of his face. How had she…?

"That is a surprise," Mirage stated as he got to his pedes since Starscream was now distracted. "A Cybercat on Earth?"

"That's not any Cybercat, Mirage! That's _my_ Cybercat!" I exclaimed. "Pebbles!" I ran forward to help my cat and threw a punch at Starscream's gut. It only left a dent and didn't serve to knock any air out of the seeker, so I aimed a kick at Starscream's midsection, this time successfully making him double over. Pebbles fell from the seeker's face with a squeak and I caught her.

Starscream slowly straightened and leveled a glare at me. But then he backed up before transforming and flying away. I just watched him leave while holding Pebbles close to me. Her metallic purring served to sooth me.

The sound of sobbing drew my attention to where my parents were standing. Dad had thrown the gun off to the side and was now staring into space. Mom just stood there, her face buried in her hands. I twitched as I wondered how my mother was going to berate me. I walked over to my parents and knelt down so that I would be more on their level. "Mom…?"

"What…_happened to you_?!" Mom cried. "You disappear as my precious baby girl and then you return as a giant—_deceiving_—metal robot!"

I reeled back as if I had been slapped. _A deceiving metal robot? I didn't want to deceive. I just didn't want to tell!_ I thought, feeling hurt inside.

"I beg pardon?" Mirage demanded dangerously. "How can you speak of her in such a way?" I looked up at him from where I was kneeling and saw the hurt look on his faceplates.

"It's okay, Mirage," I soothed as I set Pebbles down on the ground. Passively, she transformed down into her domesticated cat form and rubbed herself up against my parents' legs. I looked down at the ground before I slowly transformed back down into my human form and picked up Pebbles. I cuddled her to my chest before I smiled sadly at my parents. "I guess my secret's out."


	30. On Our Way

**Oh my goodness! I'm sorry for taking so long to update this story! I hit writers block, and I wanted to finish TWNYN's side story **_**To Serve and Protect**_**, and school got in the way. But I'm back! (Primus, I've never taken 20+ days to update one of my main fics…)**

**Thanks** _SJSGirl, KnockOut'sFanGirl221, Jimmy 144, Naughtia, Kaitlyn Thorne, roxie2120, CalicoKat35, The Rain On Your Parade, Xireana Zetsubou, AngelGirl11097, _**and**_ Trapezoidal_** for reviewing!**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty: On Our Way**

"Alright then, set those logs down there," Mom instructed from where she was standing on the porch of the house. I rolled my optics as both Mirage and I, in our robot forms, walked over to the trees I had knocked over during the fight. We moved them one by one to where Dad took out a chainsaw and began to cut them up into firewood. After that area was cleaned up, Mom asked if we could clean up some of the trees that Starscream had uprooted.

I growled as the last log was set down by my Dad. How much more heavy lifting did Mom want us to do? We just saved their afts from being annihilated by Starscream, Mirage nearly being taken from me in the process, and now all she wants us to do is work? ::I think it's a form of punishment—for me,:: I said to Mirage through my comm.

Mirage gave me a look that clearly said 'Are you kidding me?' ::Mikaela, your mother would not do that. She loves you.::

::Loves me? I question that now. I'm not the same daughter anymore. I left here a soft fleshie who knew nothing about true war, and I return as a Cybertronian, a metal giant, who can make her own battle strategies. She saw me try to tear Starscream apart! She was crying…and calling me deceitful!:: For a second, my spark thrummed uncomfortably. But I managed to calm it down. Me on the other hand, still felt very distressed. And it didn't help that my doorwing was still injured and would occasionally send jolts of pain into my back.

I was a little concerned about how long it was taking the Arielbots to get here. It had been an hour. It had taken them less time to reach Central America then it took to reach here…

With a sigh, I sank down to sit beside the house. I crossed my legs before I braced my elbows on my knees and rested chin in my servos. I watched from there as Mirage watched Dad finish chopping up the trees. Though, the chainsaw decided to die halfway through the last log. I watched as Dad cursed under his breath after several attempts to bring the machine back to life before throwing the chainsaw off to the side, his anger and frustration showing clearly on his face.

Mirage made a sound as if he was clearing his throat and slowly lowered himself to his knees. Dad looked up at Mirage with a questioning look on his face. I could also see a touch of fear in that look. I bet he still hadn't got over the fact that Mirage scared him. I watched this interaction between the man and the mech with a curiosity that made my spark thrum with anticipation.

Mirage carefully nudged Dad with the back of his right index digit so that my dad would take a few steps back. "Allow me, _padre mio gratuitamente_," he said before he unsheathed his right wrist blade. Dad flinched as Mirage brought the wrist blade down on the log several times, successfully chopping it into small, manageable pieces. We all stared down at the firewood before giggling tore our attention from it. We looked over and saw Mom, who was standing on the porch, giggling at something.

Dad was wearing the most hilarious look of 'what's happening?' on his face.

"Oh, Kris," Mom said almost breathlessly. "Mir-Mirage was showing off for you!"

"Why?"

I smirked. "Dad, you know why," I said, a hinting tone in my voice.

"He's interested in Mikaela!" Mom proclaimed before collapsing into body-shaking laughs. I quickly glanced over at Mirage as he blushed a shade of bright blue.

::Mothers—they can see through anything,:: I comm'ed Mirage. Mirage huffed before he stood up and walked over to the edge of the trees. It was kind of cute. He looked like he was sulking because Mom embarrassed him. I grinned cheekily as I glanced between my parents and Mirage before I noticed a very important part of the scenery was missing—my brother. I looked at my mom and dad. "Mom…Dad…? Where's Drew?" Why hadn't I noticed it before?

Mom looked at me as if I should have known. "Drew's at camp. He should being coming home today, though. Where have you been?" she said.

My optics narrowed at her. She basically had called me stupid. Something whirred angrily inside my head. "**How…dare…**" I growled. Mirage turned sharply to look at me.

"Don't, Mikaela. Control your temper," Mirage commanded. I looked at him, shocked, but I lowered my helm in submission. I was a scout, and Mirage was a scout of some sorts, though he was spy more than a scout. He outranked me and had been an Autobot a lot longer than I had, so he was my superior. So I obeyed.

My sensors told me that Mom and Dad were looking between me and Mirage with a look on their faces that was a mixture of awe and offence. They obviously didn't like Mirage asserting his authority over me. I looked up at Mirage and then looked down at my parents. "It's okay, Mom, Dad. Mirage knew I was going to become angry, and he probably worried that I was going to throw a fit, though I know how to control my temper." I threw a look at my courter. I refocused on my parents. "I speak in another language when I get really angry."

Dad nodded before he went and began to stack the chunks of wood. Mirage went over and began to help Dad stack the wood. I went to get up, but the honk of a horn drew my attention away from my courter and father. A van drew up and my little brother hopped out of it. He ran over, with a backpack bouncing against his back. He ran over to Mom and hugged her before he turned and noticed Mirage before he noticed me. "Oh, cool! Mirage's here! And a new Autobot is here!" he ran over to me, seemingly more interested in me than my courted. "What's your name?" he asked me as soon as he was standing by my ankle.

I chuckled and reached down to ruffle his hair with the tip of my right index digit. "Hey, bro, what's happenin'?" I asked before I slowly transformed down into my human form. Once I was done, I stretched open my arms and grinned. "Welcome home, Drew."

With a happy squeal, he ran into my arms. "Mickey!" he cried. "You're an Autobot!"

I laughed. "Yes I am."

* * *

::Twistette, Ah'm so gonna have a talk wit yah creators,:: Jazz proclaimed darkly. I laughed over the open comm. line.

::Calm down, Jazzman. Everything has been amended. My parents understand now,:: I explained. I had transformed down into my alt-form and my father was sitting in my driver's seat. He had wanted listen to the public conference I was having with the Autobots. Mirage was sitting next to me in his alt-mode.

::I am a witness,:: Mirage added.

There was a silence before Optimus spoke. ::Good, now that they realize your role, they must understand that you must join us as we go to liberate Sam Witwicky.::

I sighed. ::I think they understand. Right, Dad?::

"I do," Dad said in a calm voice.

::Good,:: Optimus said. ::Twister, Mirage, you must get prepared quickly. We're flying to your location as we speak. We'll be over your area in less than half an hour.::

::Is Sam near here?:: I asked.

::Indeed," Optimus replied. ::We've found out that the Decepticons have just moved him to a base deep in the Rocky Mountains, but not too far away from any public access roads. We will land in your area, and then we'll drive as a group to where our sensors tell us the location of the Decepticon base may be.:: Optimus went on to tell me the rest of the plans before we ended the conference. I had Dad then step out of me before I transformed up into my bipedal form.

I heard Mirage transform behind me before I walked over to where my mother was sitting on the porch on a rocking chair. I knelt down so that I was more on her level. "Hey, Mom," I said softly. I smiled softly as she looked up at me. "I just wanted to say that I love you." I took a deep breath. "And that I'll be going to save Sam Witwicky in less than half an hour."

She smiled up at me and reached for one of my servos. I gently laid my right index finger in her hand. "So you're going to be a hero?" she asked.

I nodded. I pulled my digit away before I straightened and looked at my courter. "How many cubes of emergency Energon do you have, Mirage?" I asked him.

"Two," he replied. I nodded in response to that before I called my Cybercat. She was going to come with us. She could be a valuable asset. When she trotted up to me, Drew let out a squeal of happiness and said something about Autobots having robocats. I giggled at that before I walked over to Mirage and stood beside him. And there, I fell into thinking about how we were going to handle this.

_The Decepticons will surely know that we are coming once we get close to the base. They must have hidden cameras and sensors…_ I looked up at Mirage and noticed his optics dim slightly, showing that he was receiving a comm. from someone. A few minutes after I noticed this, his optics returned to their normal brightness and he looked at me. I asked him what it was about.

He looked down at his pedes for a second as his doorwings twitched in thought. When he seemed to finish thinking, he looked into my optics. "Optimus wants you to be the one to infiltrate the base."

I froze in shock. "_Me_?" I gasped. "Why _me_?" I placed my fists on my hips as my eyebrows furrowed. "I know I can transform into my human mode which changes my spark signature into a human signature, but the Decepticons will be able to track it. They'll _know_ when there's another human in the base. I'll be fried instantly."

"I know," Mirage said, "That is why I'm giving you this." He reached back and I heard him open up his backplates. With a grunt, I saw him pull something out of his back. I blinked and saw him holding out a small mechanical box to me. "It's my cloaking generator."

I gasped in shock. "Mirage!" I looked up at him. "You can't—"

He cut me off. "Take it, Mikaela. You need it in order to get out of the base alive. I don't want to see you die."

I blushed at the care he was showing me. "Th-thanks, Mirage," I stuttered before I quickly hugged him. "Ratchet'll just have to integrate it into my systems when he gets here." I pulled away from my courter and looked away as I blushed ferociously. Dang, it felt I was falling apart inside. I could never handle my emotions completely when I was around an attractive male.

Thankfully, my embarrassment went unnoticed when the sound of a few jet engines reached my audios. I looked up at the sky as I watched the Arielbots, a couple C-17s, and a CV-22 Osprey come into view. Jetstream was the only one to transform and land in the yard. Once he had straightened, he walked over to me and Mirage. "Nice to see you again," he said with a smile on his face. He glanced down at my parents and at my brother, who were standing on the deck, and I heard Drew ask, quite loudly, "Who's that?"

Jetstream introduced himself to my family before he turned back to me and my courter. But not after I saw his gaze linger on my mother for just a few seconds longer that it had on Dad and Drew.

"It's time to go. A bunch of human soldiers and Autobots are on their way to the drop zone near highway 16," he explained. But then leaned to the right a bit and looked at my doorwings. "Are you sure you can transform?"

I smiled. "I'm fine, Jetstream. If I can transform into my human form, then I can transform into my alt-mode," I said.

He nodded. "Okay, then. Say your goodbyes. We have to go. There's no room to dawdle in a soldier's life."

It was my turn to nod. I quickly began to transform, but I couldn't help but grunt as my door snapped into place, all crumpled. Ugh, it looked like I had been T-boned. Jetstream flinched apologetically. "That looked…painful…" he admitted before he collapsed down into his Ford F-450 King Ranch pickup truck alt-form. As Mirage transformed, I activated my holoform and went over to my family and gave them a goodbye hug and kiss. I didn't tell them that there was a high risk that I wasn't going to make it out of this. But I knew my family had faith in me. I _had_ survived several life-threatening instances—like being unable to breathe because my throat had closed up when I was little (because of a cold), nearly dying because my immune system stopped working for a while…and being dragged across the arena by I pony I had been riding…yeah. So infiltrating a Decepticon base was going to be easy!—_not_.

With Jetstream in the lead, me right behind him, and Mirage right behind me, we drove away from my human family's home, and we drove to meet the Autobots and the NEST soldiers.

* * *

We met up with the Autobots right outside Jasper, Alberta. Everyone I had grown close to was there. Optimus, Ironhide, Jazz, Ratchet, Bumblebee… everyone but Que. I understood where he came from. He was more to inventing stuff then fighting. Ratchet went right to work on fixing my doorwing, and as soon as he was done with that, I handed him Mirage's cloaking generator. I knew he wanted to ask questions, but he kept quiet as he opened up my backplates and inserted the generator.

Once he was done, I grinned. "Thanks, Ratchet!" I said before I bobbed my left doorwing up and down to see if it would cause any more pain. I then went to stand over to the side as Optimus stepped forward.

"Autobots, I am glad that all of you decided to come and help save Sam. But we have to be careful. One wrong move, and the Decepticons may terminate him," he said.

"So are we going to breach the main door of the base, and storm the place?" Ironhide asked eagerly. I rolled my optics at this, remembering how he had done something like that when they had come to rescue me from the warehouse.

Optimus shook his helm. "We cannot let the Decepticons know that were going in to search the base. We have to act like we want to fight the Decepticons, and send one of our spies in to find Sam and grab him. If we were to storm the place, the point of the mission would be terminated." He gave Ironhide a pointed look.

I had a feeling that someone was going to ask who the spy was. I was going to have a lot of optics suddenly on me.

Suddenly, a message popped up on my HUD screen. **'Cloaking Generator integrated. Would you like to run a test diagnostic?'**

_Whatever that means…okay._ I accepted, and continued to stand where I was. But when Optimus looked in my direction and didn't see me, I guessed that the generator was on and was working. I managed to turn it off, and grinned sheepishly. "I guess it works then!"


	31. We Did It

**Hey everyone! Here's the final chapter of TWNYN. It's good to see that it's done, but I'll miss Mikaela/Twister while I plan TWNYN's sequel: **_**Mikaela Cody Prime**_**. I have a vague sense of what it's going to be about—like Megatron's not going to die in the sequel either…he needs to be alive for the adaption of the fourth movie! Then I can brutally kill him over and over and over again! MWAHAHA! *ahem* I got a little carried away, didn't I?**

**Yes, I'll miss the Twister-Mikaela/Mirage moments. I don't know when the sequel will be up. It might be before or after Christmas, depending on if I can get myself to decide if I want to participate in NaNoWriMo this year…**

**But I'll be writing a side story to fill in the time! Including another story (not related to TWNYN) about several toy Cybertronians running around a cottage… The side story? How would you like Mikaela, Mirage, and Que/Wheeljack (I have to make up my mind and call him one of the two names…) to be sucked into the Bayverse Shattered Glass universe? Where the 'Cons are good and the 'Bots are bad? I like the idea n_n So watch out for me people, 'cause I'll keep writing! (especially since my Pre-Calculus math has been moved to the second semester! Yippee!) Look out for a title called "Warped Reflections" :D**

**Thanks,**_ SJSGirl, Jimmy 144, Autobot-Blurr 221 _**(I know it's you KnockOut'sFanGirl221! XD)**_, Lady Minuialwen, Naughtia, and Kaitlyn Thorne_** for reviewing! And thanks all you guys for favouriting and following!**

**I'LL. BE. BACK!**

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**Chapter Thirty-One: We Did It**

The drive through Jasper, Alberta was scenic and beautiful. For a second, I forgot that we were actually going to save Sam. But as soon as we drove from the small tourist town, I managed to make myself focus on our rescue mission. My mind tended to make me think happy thoughts when I was nervous.

We zoomed down the Trans-Canada highway, staying in an orderly 'follow-the-leader'-like line in the one-lane side of the two-lane highway. Optimus was in the lead, followed by Jazz, Ironhide, and so forth. I was near the back with the Arcee sisters. I was quiet the whole drive. I was afraid that, if I spoke, they would be able to hear the nervousness on my voice. I didn't want them to hear that, because Optimus might just think I might not be able to handle it and would have Mirage or Jazz go in instead.

We slowed down once we were deep within the mountains. We turned down a dirt road that lead into a forest and I shuttered when we entered it. Dark, gloomy forests in the middle of nowhere—not my cup of tea. I wanted to sink down on my axels, but forced myself not to when the dirt road began to get bumpy. I held back the groans I wanted to voice as my wheels occasionally slammed into some potholes.

This just didn't seem to be my day. _Just suck it up, Mikaela—as Mom would always say_, I reminded myself.

Optimus eventually rolled to a stop and transformed. We followed suit. As soon as we were all in our bipedal forms, Optimus turned to us and said, "We are at the location." At that, I took a deep breath as my spark sped up its beat. I looked up and saw that we were standing at the base of a massive mountain. We could faintly see what could have been the front door.

We followed the plan that had been laid out. Most of the Autobots, including Mirage, positioned themselves in a semi-circle around what looked to be the front door of the Decepticon base. I hid in a cluster of trees just behind the ring of Autobots, prepared to activate the cloak and run into the base while the guarding Decepticons were distracted.

I tensed as Optimus counted from three down to zero over our comm. links. When he hit zero, they opened fire. I tensed as the bullets and plasma shots hit the door and drew the attention of some of the Decepticon grunts. They began to pour out the door, and began to return fire. I tensed as I began to count down from ten mentally. When I reached zero, I would activate the cloak.

_Eight…seven…six…_

I almost cried out as a stray Decepticon shot hit the tree I was hiding behind.

_Five…four…three…_

Never had I ever held myself so still before. My sight zeroed in on the door.

…_Two…one…_

I activated the cloak and ran from the trees as fast as I could. I had to get to the door before the cloaking generator shut off in order to recharge. I dodged fire from both sides as I quickly made it across the battlefield and to the door, which slid open when another grunt came out. I managed to sneak in before the door closed. I quickly found a place to hide as a light on my HUD screen warned me that my cloak was about to drop.

As I hid, I wondered why the cloak threatened to drop. In the DOTM game, it threatened to drop after a few seconds even after Mirage had repaired himself. But that was just to make the level harder, wasn't it? So in real life, I should be able to keep it up all the time. But how? _I could reroute some of my access power to it in order to keep it on constantly. That is what I need here,_ I thought. I spent a few more minutes rerouting the power, and when I was done, I raised the cloak again.

I tiptoed out of my hiding spot and quickly began to walk down the corridor leading into the base. The corridor looked like a mineshaft, leaving me to believe that this used to be an abandoned mine. _Very clever, Megatron,_ I smirked as I turned a corner. But then something bad happened. I bumped into someone.

I looked up at the person I had bumped into, and I had to hold in the squeak that threatened to pop from my voice box. I had bumped into a metallic blue seeker that towered over me.

Holding back the gasp, I was lucky that I still had the cloak up, or the seeker would have seen me. I watched as he looked around in search of…well, _me_, as another seeker walked up to him. This one was a metallic lilac. "What's up, TC?" the lilac seeker asked.

"I felt something run into me. But I can't see what it was. It seems it has disappeared," 'TC' replied.

I watched them walk away, before I resumed my trek down the mineshaft. The place felt like it was starting to close up on me—once in a while—and I wondered if I was getting closterphobic. That incident back there had been a close call, though. If I bumped into someone else, that might rouse suspicion.

So I became more attentive of my surroundings as I neared a door that opened when a 'Con strolled out. I quickly looked into the room behind him before the doors could close, and a grin appeared on my face as I saw, for just a second, what looked to be a lab. So that must have been a lab 'Con. I slowly approached the door and wondered if there was any security precautions. I looked up and down the doorframe—on both sides of it—and saw no keypad or lock.

_It seems that the lab Decepticon trusts his fellow Decepticons…or they're just too scared to go into the lab in the first place,_ I thought before I padded the door open and entered.

I didn't shut down the cloak even after the door closed behind me. What I did first was search for any cameras. I found one, and quickly blocked it with a picture of an empty version of this lab, a trick I learned from all the crime shows I watched as a human (or…it could have been _Transformers: Prime_…). Then I turned towards the tables and started looking for Sam. He either had to be in the lab, or in the med-bay—unless they were the same. I continued to search, even though I had the feeling that the fake picture I was feeding the camera wasn't going to buy me much time.

Finally, I spotted a capsule of some sort sitting in the middle of a cleared spot on a table and walked over to it. I didn't have to crouch down because the table seemed to be made for someone much taller than me. _Like Shockwave…_ I reached over to the capsule and picked it up before I looked into it. A sad smile made its way onto my invisible face as I beheld the peaceful, sleeping, form of the boy the Autobots had been searching for. _I'll bring you home safe,_ I thought. _To your wife, Sam._ Then, without a thought, I opened the capsule.

The thawing process began immediately, and in under a minute, Sam lay in my palm, awake. But he was awfully cold. I curled my fingers around him and directed a little more heat into my servo in order to warm him up to a safe temperature.

Sam looked up and around, and began to panic when he noticed that he was hovering over the ground, since he couldn't see my servo. I dropped the cloak and brought a digit to my lips in a "shh…" gesture. He calmed down as soon as he saw my blue optics and my Autobot symbol. "I'll explain later," I whispered. "But now I have to get out of the base unnoticed. You'll have to ride in my sparkling hold, okay?" When he nodded, I opened up my chestplates and set him inside the hold. After I made sure he was comfortable, I closed up my chestplates and locked them before I re-cloaked myself.

**'Warning: Unknown material in sparkling hold. Terminate?'** the message popped up quickly on my HUD screen. I shook my helm at it.

_Override,_ I thought before I walked over to the door and padded it open. But as soon as I stepped out, and alarm began to sound. My optics widened. _Scrap! The scientist must have had an alarm that was set to go off as soon as anyone left with Sam!_ I began to run towards the entrance of the base, keeping my cloak on. Decepticons began to flow into the shaft as I sprinted as fast as I could. I could feel the dazed young man gripping the walls of my sparkling hold with his hands and feet. _Sorry, Sam,_ I thought.

I was almost to the door when the inevitable happened.

Megatron stepped out into the shaft and blocked my only way out. I sank my heels into the ground in an effort to stop, but at the speed I had been going, I didn't have enough room. So I crashed into one of Megatron's legs at fifty kilometers an hour, and fell back onto my aft. My cloak fell, and I was left vulnerable and in full view. I looked up at Megatron with wide optics as he looked down at me with narrowed ones. My spark seemed to stop beating as a malicious smirk crossed his faceplates.

"Ah, Twister. I was wondering what happened to you. Seems you went and became an Autobot," he said to me in a tone that made me want to turn on my cloak. I tried to, but I found I couldn't.

**'Warning: cloaking generator has sustained damage. Initiating self-repair protocols.'**

"Thundercracker, Skywarp, take her down to the brig. I'll have a nice talk to her after I have dealt with Prime," Megatron said.

The metallic blue seeker and the metallic lilac seeker from before suddenly appeared as Megatron turned and exited the base. As Thundercracker, or 'TC', picked me up by my right arm and Skywarp picked me up by my left one, I was determined not to let the Autobots be caught off guard. I reached out with my bond. _"Optimus!"_

There was no answer for a few seconds. _"What is it, Mikaela?"_

I shifted uncomfortably in the position I was being held in. _"Megatron's coming to join the battle…and I've been captured…"_

I felt a sense of dread flow from his end of the bond, which surprised me. Optimus sounded a little hesitant when he spoke next. _"Have you got Sam?"_

"_I do."_

"_Do they know that you have him—have they taken him back?"_

I wanted to shake my helm, but I didn't. If I did, it would just rouse suspicion. _"They don't know, thank goodness. I'm being sent to the brig. Megatron is going to have a 'talk' with me later."_

"_I do not like the sound of that. I'll send Mirage in as soon as we have a handle on these Decepticons," _Optimus reassured me.

But I was not reassured. _"Please, Optimus! Don't send him in here. I have his cloaking generator, remember? All he has is hologram generator! He'll be discovered instantly!"_ I pleaded. _"The halls are full of Decepticons…"_

"_One against many…what was I thinking when I sent you in there?"_

I smiled sadly. _"It's okay, Optimus. I'll be fine…"_

Thundercracker and Skywarp finally reached the brig and threw me into the cell at the far end of the room. I landed with a grunt and couldn't help but whimper when my back slammed into the wall at the back of the cell.

"I hope you enjoy your stay, Twister," Skywarp teased.

Thundercracker spared me one look, why could have been a soft look, before they both left. With a sigh, I adjusted myself into a sitting position in the back right corner of the cell and crossed my legs. I hug my helm and sighed again before something began to bang on my chest plates from within my sparkling hold. I looked down and opened up my chest plates. Sam crawled out and onto my awaiting servo, gasping.

"Are you alright, Sam?" I asked.

He nodded. "J-Just a little banged up, that's all. Y-you cushioned most of the i-impact," he said, his voice sounding strangely static-y.

I narrowed my optics at him. "Sam, what's wrong with your voice?"

He looked down at his feet as he clasped his hands behind his back. He didn't say anything at first, but after a few minutes of silence, I saw something drop from the corner of his eye and drop to the ground. Then I heard a sniffle. With a rush of air, Sam told me everything that the Decepticon Scalpel did to him. "Once he had gotten all of the information out of me, he proceeded to do tests on me. He would cut me open, then he would sew me back up. He would splash Energon in my face—which _burned_. Things began to change. Muscles hardened—turned to metal. My thoughts grew sharper. Scalpel would run tests to see how fast I could think. I was terrified! I was alone amongst metal giants who would be happy to see me dead!"

"Calm down, Sam," I said. "Everything will turn out alright."

"How do you know if everything will be alright?" Sam frowned, his eyes suddenly glowing a dangerous red. "Look around you, Twister! We're in a _prison_. We can't get out! We're in a base infested with Decepticons! Get your processor out of the clouds, 'cause you obviously didn't have it with you when you came in here!"

I bared my denta at Sam as I was insulted and felt anger try to consume me. "I was trying to comfort you, you ungrateful sparkling!"

Sam growled, and suddenly in his place, there was black armored Minicon mech that was around Sam's height and sported a pair of red optics. I gasped and huddled farther back into my corner as he glared at me. "Sam!" I cried as the door of the cell suddenly crashed open.

Our attention was drawn over to the doorway of the cell. In the doorway stood a black and white mech with familiar police stickers on him. Though, one was missing and had been replaced with the RCMP horse-and-rider icon. "Witwicky, stop," he commanded in a very familiar deep voice.

I turned to look at the mech that had been Sam, and saw him begin to tremble. I watched as he transformed back down into the young man I had been talking to before this all erupted. "B-B-Buh-Barricade!" he exclaimed.

The mech in the cell doorway humorlessly clapped his servos together a couple of times. "He remembers!" the Decepticon said half-heartedly.

I glared at the four-eyed Decepticon. "What do you want, Barricade?" I demanded.

Barricade crossed his arms. "I'm here to get you out, isn't that apparent?"

A growl escaped my voice box. "No, really—_why are you here_?" I demanded, suspicious.

"I meant what I said!" he shouted.

I paused and cocked my head to the side. "Really?"

He nodded before he took my arm roughly and began to lead me quickly from the brig. Sam ran up to me and clambered up my leg until I picked him up and held him in my servo. Barricade continued to lead me down the hall, and we passed Decepticons that threw us questioning glances, but didn't say anything. I looked at the mech leading me before I requested a private comm. channel with him. Once he had accepted, I asked, ::So, are you still a Decepticon?::

There was a snort. ::No. More like _ex_-Decepticon, femme. Starscream tried to kill me.::

I looked at him with wide optics. ::He tried to _kill_ you? Why? You're, like, the most famous Decepticon!::

::Correction: I was the most _useful_. Starscream saw that I wasn't of much use anymore. I guess it was because of my less than stellar track record of duties here on Earth. For example: I failed on retrieving information on the whereabouts of an AllSpark fragment from a girl, and when she didn't give it to me, I tried to kill her and then failed doing that as well.::

::Oh,:: I said quietly. I looked up at him again. ::That girl was me, you know. The girl you tried to kill…::

He stopped and looked at me. ::You're lying.::

I lifted my chin. ::I am not.::

Barricade looked thoughtful for a few seconds before he resumed walking. He was quiet until had walked halfway down the hall. ::We must transform and drive from here. It will be the only way to get out through the Decepticon lines.::

::I see,:: I said before I transformed down into my alt-mode. I saw Barricade quickly grin at my choice of alt-mode before he transformed as well. I wrapped my seatbelt around Sam, who had fallen into my driver's seat when I transformed. Barricade revved his engine loudly before he squealed his tires and shot forward. It raced after him as he drove quickly down the rest of the hall and around a corner. We drove down another hall and towards the entrance. We reached the entrance and shot out into the sunlight…

…and straight into the middle of the battle.

Sam began to scream as we wove between the warring Cybertronians. I nearly got stepped on a couple times, but after about ten minutes of dodging fire, Barricade and I reached the Autobot line. And I continued driving. ::Optimus, I'm in the clear. Got Sam too. You won't believe how I got out of that Pit-hole…::

* * *

Back at base (which took two days of constant driving to reach) Barricade was escorted to the brig where Optimus, Ironhide, and Jazz would talk to him. Sam was taken to the med bay where Ratchet examined him. Ratchet found out that Sam was now a Cybertronian classed as a "Pretender", and after finding that out, Sam made Ratchet promise not to tell anyone else but me and the Autobots. He didn't want his wife to know that he was now a Cybertronian like the Decepticon named Alice.

The reunion between Sam and his heavily pregnant wife, Mikaela Banes, was sweet. I met her in my human form. Afterword's, Sam asked me what my middle name was.

I was required to stay at the base for complete debriefings. I didn't mind, even though I had been getting used to relaxing back at home again. But I was needed here at the base.

Mirage was happy I was going to stay. That meant that we could be together more. Optimus must have seen how close we were to each other, so he had us assigned to be partners. I was now a spy/scout like he was.

Life seemed to be looking up for me, though I never thought I was ever going to be comfortable as a soldier. That didn't matter to me anymore. I had my future sparkmate with me, and I was surrounded by humans and Cybertronians I considered family. I was content.

My name is Mikaela Cody Prime, and I am now an Autobot.

**The End**


End file.
